Microsoft offers buyout for up to 7% of US employees
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In Brief Posted: 9:38 AM PDT · April 23, 2026 Image Credits:Deb Cohn-Orbach/UCG/Universal Images Group / Getty Images Amanda Silberling Microsoft offers buyout for up to 7% of US employees Microsoft is offering voluntary retirement buyouts for the first time in its 51-year history, per reports from CNBC and Bloomberg. According to an internal memo, employees will be eligible if their years of work at Microsoft plus their age totals 70 or more, with some exceptions. So if someone who is 52 years old has 18 years of service at Microsoft, they could qualify for the buyout. This move gives Microsoft an opportunity to reduce its headcount in a manner less abrasive than mass layoffs. Over the last few years, Microsoft has weathered several rounds of layoffs, affecting thousands of employees — most recently, the company cut 9,000 jobs last summer. The company had an estimated 125,000 U.S. employees as of June. The buyouts would reportedly apply to 7% of the U.S. workforce, which amounts to about 8,750 employees. TechCrunch has reached out to Microsoft for comment. Topics Enterprise, headcount, In Brief, Microsoft April 30 San Francisco, CA StrictlyVC kicks off the year in SF. Get in the room for unfiltered fireside chats with industry leaders, insider VC insights, and high-value connections that actually move the needle. Tickets are limited. REGISTER NOW Newsletters See More Subscribe for the industry’s biggest tech news TechCrunch Daily News Every weekday and Sunday, you can get the best of TechCrunch’s coverage. TechCrunch Mobility TechCrunch Mobility is your destination for transportation news and insight.
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