Microsoft offers quarter of workforce voluntary buyouts amid AI spending

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 26 Oct, 18:31 · Archive

Microsoft has offered voluntary buyouts to 60,000 employees, about 27% of its global workforce, as it accelerates artificial intelligence spending.

Microsoft has offered voluntary buyouts to 60,000 employees, representing about 27% of its global workforce, as it accelerates spending on artificial intelligence. The offer is available to eligible employees in Canada, India, the United Kingdom and the United States, according to Chief People Officer Amy Coleman.

Amy Coleman wrote in a blog post that 'the Voluntary Exit Offer is new for us' and that the company would 'learn from it'. She said Microsoft would continue to help people 'focus on the work that matters most, build new skills and, where it makes sense, find new opportunities across Microsoft'.

Microsoft had approximately 223,000 full-time employees at the end of June. The buyout offer follows earlier workforce reductions: in May the company planned buyouts for about 8,750 people, or 7% of its U.S. workforce, and in July it cut 4,800 jobs, about 2.1% of its global workforce, including workers at its Xbox video game business.

The heavy investment in data centres to power artificial intelligence, expected to top $700 billion this year, has driven up costs for memory chips, processors and electricity. Economists expect this to continue pushing up inflation through the end of the year.

How it is being reported

• Microsoft offers a quarter of its global workforce voluntary buyouts as AI spending acceleratesMicrosoft has offered 60,000 employees, or about 27% of its global workforce, voluntary buyouts as the software giant spends heavily on artificial intelligence.Clickorlando · 26 Oct, 17:42
• Microsoft offers a quarter of its global workforce voluntary buyouts as AI spending acceleratesMicrosoft has offered 60,000 employees, or about 27% of its global workforce, voluntary buyouts as the software giant spends heavily on artificial intelligence.News4Jax · 26 Oct, 17:42

In this story: Microsoft · Canada · India · United Kingdom · United States · Amy Coleman · Redmond

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