Microsoft offers voluntary exit to ~60,000 employees, about 27% of workforce
kalyan_kpl · x · 2026-10-27
Per CNBC, Microsoft has opened a voluntary exit program to eligible employees at level 70 and below in the US, Canada, India and the UK — roughly 60,000 people, about 27% of its 223,000 global workforce. Employees must decide by December; those who accept leave on Dec 31. Some marketing, sales and engineering teams have opted out. The move comes as Microsoft reins in spending while pouring money into AI.
The attached screenshot shows a Reddit post from a developer in India who received the email: only a select few got it, and he suspects the email means being on a layoff list. He joined 3 months ago with 3 years of experience and is anxious about what's next.
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