Microsoft Offers Voluntary Exits to Eligible Staff Amid AI Spending Push

Microsoft has opened a time-limited Voluntary Exit Offer, with money and career support, for eligible employees at level 70 and below in participating teams across Canada, India, the UK and the US. Reporting from sources cited by CNBC, Reuters, AP and the Wall Street Journal puts the number of people affected at about 60,000, roughly 27 percent of its 223,000-person workforce, though Microsoft's own announcement gives no such figure. Employees would decide in early December and leave on 31 December if they accept. The offer comes as Microsoft sharply raises capital spending on AI infrastructure, with forecasts reportedly reaching $175 billion for 2026. Microsoft has not published which roles AI systems have taken over, and the reported teams affected are mainly those that build products rather than security or governance functions.