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[Microsoft offers voluntary separation packages to approximately 60000 employees]
Microsoft, local time October 26 stated that it will offer voluntary separation compensation packages to approximately 60000 employees to reduce costs and adjust its workforce structure for the AI era. More than one-quarter of total employees are eligible, marking the company's third workforce adjustment this year. A spokesperson said that certain employees at the vice president level and below in the United States, Canada, India, and the United Kingdom are eligible to apply; terms for those accepting the package are comparable to standard severance packages. According to people familiar with the matter, departments including Xbox, Windows, Copilot, and finance will participate broadly, while certain employees in data centers, sales, marketing, cybersecurity, and quantum computing are ineligible. Chief People Officer Amy Coleman said in an internal letter that the program provides employees considering departure with an option to transition with company support, and gives departments another way to adjust their teams. The spokesperson also said that if top talent accepts the package, the company may seek to retain them in some cases. This year April, Microsoft launched its first voluntary retirement program, targeting approximately 8750 eligible U.S. employees, with more than 30%ultimately accepting;July announced layoffs of approximately 4800 employees, representing approximately 2.1%of its total workforce. A spokesperson expects the number of participants this time to be far lower than under the voluntary retirement program. As of the end of June, Microsoft had 223000 employees. According to July 29's earnings report, capital expenditures in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026 were 41000000000 USD, up approximately year on year, and capital expenditures in the first quarter of fiscal 2027 are expected to be approximately 50000000000 USD。