Microsoft announced its first-ever voluntary buyout program, offering severance to approximately 7% of its U.S. workforce—employees at senior director level and below whose age plus years of service total 70 or more. The program reflects the company's effort to manage costs while capital spending accelerates on AI infrastructure; as of June 2025, Microsoft employed 125,000 people in the U.S. out of 228,000 globally. Employees and managers receive program details May 7, and the move comes as tech companies face margin pressure from massive AI infrastructure investments and competition from emerging AI tools threatening traditional software revenue.