Microsoft has decided to lay off approximately 60,000 employees. To achieve this, employees in the company's offices in several cities are being offered leave.

Microsoft to lay off thousands of employees.

While IT companies are rehiring employees, Microsoft, one of the world's largest tech companies, is planning to lay off its employees. The company has offered approximately 60,000 employees the option to leave their jobs voluntarily.

In return, the company will offer them a financial package. This decision is aimed at transforming the way companies work and their employee teams in the era of artificial intelligence (AI).

A company
spokesperson said that employees at the vice president level and below from select teams in the US, Canada, India, and the UK will be eligible for the plan. However, employees in certain teams related to data centers, sales, and marketing will not be included.

Microsoft Chief People Officer Amy Coleman said in a message to employees that employees considering leaving the company will receive financial assistance through this plan, along with a compensation package similar to the typical compensation package.

Why was this decision made?
The company wants to save costs by eliminating these employees, so that it can invest in AI in the future. Tech companies are now investing heavily in the data centers needed to develop and operate AI technology. Consequently, companies are re-evaluating their expenses and staffing needs.

Microsoft says it wants to focus on employees who can contribute to solving the company's key technical challenges. In some cases, the company may even try to prevent employees from accepting job offers if they have talent. This move clearly demonstrates that the increasing use of AI is driving changes in the tech sector, not only in new technologies, but also in employee roles and recruitment strategies.

It's worth noting that Microsoft isn't the only company reducing its workforce to invest more in AI. Google also offered severance packages to employees in some departments last year. At Meta, the number of employees at the end of 2022 has already fallen by more than 20,000 from its peak level.