Redmond, Wash. — Microsoft said it was offering voluntary buyouts to thousands of its U.S. employees on Thursday. The software giant plans to make the offers in early May to about 8,750 people, or 7% of its U.S. workforce, according to two people familiar with the plan who were not authorized to speak about it publicly.
While an alternative to the sudden layoffs removing tech workers from peers like Meta and Oracle, the savings are likely tied to a similar industry upheaval that is requiring huge spending on the costs of artificial intelligence.
Meanwhile, Meta is laying off about 8,000 workers, or about 10% of its workforce, as it continues to ramp up spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure and highly paid AI-expert hires…