Microsoft voluntary buyouts

Microsoft began offering its first-ever voluntary retirement buyouts to U.S. employees on April 23, 2026. (forbes.com) (cnbc.com) The offer is open to U.S. staff at the senior director level (Level 67) and below whose age plus years of service total at least 70. (cnbc.com) (techcrunch.com) Microsoft said the program was outlined in a memo from Chief People Officer Amy Coleman and that eligible employees and their managers will get full details on May 7. (geekwire.com) (forbes.com) Company documents and reporting put eligible staff at about 7% of Microsoft’s U.S. workforce, a slice that the press estimates at roughly 8,750 people. (cnbc.com) (bloomberg.com) The program comes as Microsoft ramps AI infrastructure spending, reporting $37.5 billion in capex for fiscal Q2 and tracking toward roughly $110–$120 billion in capex for fiscal 2026 to build data‑center capacity. (247wallst.com) (finance.yahoo.com) Microsoft has trimmed payroll before: the company eliminated more than 15,000 positions across multiple rounds in 2025. (cnbc.com) (techcrunch.com) Coleman framed the buyout as a choice for long‑tenured workers, writing that the company hopes the program “gives those eligible the choice to take that next step on their own terms, with generous company support.” (geekwire.com) (forbes.com) The program would take effect in Microsoft’s fiscal fourth quarter, and the company signaled that CFO Amy Hood is expected to address the buyout on the upcoming earnings call. (geekwire.com) (bloomberg.com) Markets reacted: reports noted Microsoft shares slid about 4% on the news as investors weighed the company’s heavy AI capex against near‑term workforce moves. (247wallst.com) Eligible employees will be notified in early May and, according to reports, will have a limited window to accept the offer; Microsoft has said it will share package details with those workers on May 7. (forbes.com) (geekwire.com)