Economy News
Microsoft's profits soar days after buyouts for 60,000 staff: AI, jobs and visas
Microsoft reported soaring profits this week, days after saying it would offer buyouts to 60,000 workers to curb costs, BBC News reports. The ‘Voluntary Exit Offer’, first reported by Eurogamer, essentially pays staff to leave ahead of any potential layoffs, and comes amid sweeping cuts at Xbox and massive investment in AI.
The cuts drew a pointed response in Washington. India's Hindustan Times reports that Labor Department Inspector General Anthony D'Esposito warned Microsoft against using employment visa programmes to undermine US workers.
“Don't screw with American workers.” — Anthony D'Esposito, via Hindustan Times
The BBC notes the buyout offer came in the same week as the results. Eurogamer links it to a wider wave of studio closures and job cuts at Xbox, while Hindustan Times framed the story around employment visas.
How each outlet framed it
- BBC News — the contrast: strong profits arriving just after a huge cost-cutting offer to staff.
- Eurogamer — the gaming angle: Xbox is not the only division cutting, as Microsoft shifts money towards AI.
- Hindustan Times — the visa question, which matters to many Indian tech workers in the US.
- Ars Technica — a quieter detail from the same results: PC revenue is declining as Microsoft polishes Windows 11.
What we don't know yet: how many staff will accept the buyout, and whether compulsory layoffs will follow if too few do.