Microsoft’s voluntary buyout offer will include Xbox employees, Reuters reported, citing a source familiar with the matter who requested anonymity. CNBC estimates that about 60,000 employees, roughly 27% of Microsoft’s workforce, may qualify. The figure is an estimate of potential eligibility, not Microsoft’s stated total or a forecast of how many people will leave.
Microsoft's voluntary buyout being offered to 60,000 employees will include the Xbox division, a source has told Reuters
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Microsoft’s Oct. 26 announcement describes a time-limited offer that gives eligible employees financial support and career-planning resources. The public notice does not state how many employees qualify. CNBC’s estimate puts potential eligibility at about 60,000.
Eligible areas include AI experiences, Copilot, finance, human resources and Windows + Devices. Marketing, commercial business and security are excluded.
An earlier voluntary offer was estimated to cover about 9,000 employees. On July 6, Microsoft said more than 30% of eligible employees chose to participate in that program.
The current offer is separate from Microsoft’s 2025 plan to cut 3% of its workforce and from Xbox’s separate planned job cuts. By July, 1,600 gaming roles had been eliminated, with another 1,600 planned during fiscal 2027 as part of the 3,200-job Xbox plan.
Microsoft is using the program to contain costs as it funds its AI investments. The company has forecast $175 billion in capital expenditures for calendar 2026 amid heavy spending on AI data centers and chips, drawing investor scrutiny over whether the outlay will pay off. Microsoft is scheduled to report first-quarter results after markets close Wednesday, Oct. 28.
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