# Microsoft offers buyouts to 60,000 staff in the US, UK, Canada and India

Source: Searchable (https://searchable.pk/news/business/microsoft-offers-buyouts-to-60000-staff-in-the-us-uk-canada-and-india)
Type: News article
Author: Searchable Editorial
Published: 26 Oct 2026
Updated: 26 Oct 2026
Retrieved: 27 Oct 2026

> Employees at vice president level or below can take a voluntary exit package as Microsoft shifts money into AI. Pakistan is not on the list of countries.

**Microsoft** is offering voluntary buyouts to about **60,000 employees**, roughly a quarter of its global workforce, as it puts more money into artificial intelligence, [CBS News reported](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/microsoft-buyouts-60000-workers-artificial-intelligence-layoffs/) on Monday 26 October 2026, citing Agence France-Presse. Business Insider first reported the plan.

The company announced the programme on Monday and said eligible staff would be told by email the same day.

## Who can take the Microsoft buyout

- **Countries:** the offer covers eligible employees in the **United States, United Kingdom, Canada and India**. Pakistan is not among them.
- **Seniority:** only staff at **vice president level or below** qualify.
- **Exclusions:** some business units are left out. Bloomberg, citing a company spokesperson, reported that people working on data centres and in sales and marketing cannot take it.
- **Time limit:** the offer is open for a limited period, Microsoft said.

Amy Coleman, Microsoft's chief people officer, wrote in a memo to staff that the offer gives employees "who may be considering a future outside the company a new choice to make that transition now with support". The package includes financial support and career-planning help.

## The numbers behind it

| | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employees offered a buyout | about 60,000 |
| Share of the workforce eligible | about 27% (AFP) |
| Global headcount, end of June 2026 | 223,000 |
| Global headcount, end of 2025 | 228,000 |

This is Microsoft's **second voluntary exit offer of 2026**. In April it reportedly offered about 7% of its US workforce the option to retire early. The company is saving on salaries while spending heavily on data centres and AI chips, the same pressure behind Meta's plan this week to raise up to $95 billion from new shares ([our report](/news/technology/meta-to-raise-up-to-dollar95-billion-about-rs-26-trillion-in-new-shares-for-ai)).

## What it means for Pakistanis at Microsoft

Many Pakistanis work for Microsoft in the US, UK and Canada, and they may receive the email if their role and level qualify. Anyone weighing a package should check how it interacts with their work visa before accepting, since leaving a sponsoring employer can start a deadline to find a new job or leave the country. To compare a package paid in dollars or pounds with a salary at home, use our [currency converter](/tools/finance/currency-converter) and the [dollar rate page](/data/usd-pkr).

## Frequently asked questions

**How many Microsoft employees are offered a buyout?**

About 60,000, roughly a quarter of its global workforce, in the US, UK, Canada and India, at vice president level or below.

## Sources

- Microsoft offers buyouts to 60,000 workers as it pours money into AI (CBS News): https://www.cbsnews.com/news/microsoft-buyouts-60000-workers-artificial-intelligence-layoffs/
- Microsoft is offering buyouts to around 60,000 employees, Business Insider reports (Business Recorder): https://www.brecorder.com/news/40446004/microsoft-is-offering-buyouts-to-around-60000-employees-business-insider-reports

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