Mass layoffs synchronized to bet on AI! Microsoft launches its first voluntary retirement in 51 years, Meta lays off 8,000 people

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Major technology companies are accelerating adjustments to their personnel structures. Microsoft and Meta announced significant downsizing plans within hours of each other. Meta stated that the layoffs are a necessary move to improve operational efficiency and reallocate capital amid continuously expanding AI expenditures.

According to media reports, Microsoft has launched the first voluntary retirement plan in its 51-year history, targeting employees at or below the senior director level, with the condition that their years of service plus age total 70 or more. This plan could affect about 7% of Microsoft’s U.S. employees; based on its U.S. workforce of approximately 126,000, up to 9,000 employees could potentially leave.

Meanwhile, Meta plans to cut about 10% of its employees on May 20, affecting around 8,000 people, and will keep 6,000 open positions vacant. At the end of last year, Meta had about 79,000 employees.

The share prices of both companies are under pressure. As of early April, Microsoft stock hit its worst performance for the same period since at least 1997, according to Bloomberg, while Meta’s stock was largely flat for the year.

Microsoft’s First Voluntary Retirement in 51 Years Could Free Up More Than 9,000 Positions

This personnel adjustment by Microsoft is a continuation of a series of recent tightening measures. At the end of March, it had already imposed a hiring freeze on some positions in its cloud computing and sales departments. This voluntary retirement plan is the first time such a mechanism has been introduced in the company’s documented 51-year history.

According to an internal memo cited by CNBC, the plan is defined as a "one-time retirement project." Microsoft Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Amy Coleman wrote in the memo: "We hope this plan allows eligible employees to take their next step at their own pace and with the company’s generous support."

Microsoft’s 2025 annual report shows a global workforce of about 228,000, with about 126,000 in the U.S. If this voluntary retirement plan is calculated at about 7% of U.S. employees, the potential departures could exceed 9,000 people.

Although CNBC indicated that the actual participation is expected to be "a small portion of employees," this number still represents the largest proactive personnel restructuring in the company’s history.

Alongside the personnel changes, Microsoft is also reforming its compensation system. The company is splitting equity incentives from cash bonuses and simplifying management performance evaluation options from nine tiers to five, granting managers more flexibility and focusing resources on rewarding core talent.

Meta Lays Off 8,000 Employees, Focusing on Efficiency and AI Capital Reallocation

Meta’s layoffs this time are part of a planned structural adjustment. Meta Chief Human Resources Officer Janelle Gale stated in an internal memo:

"This is one of our ongoing efforts to continuously improve operational efficiency and free up space for other investments. I know this is unwelcome news, and confirming this decision will unsettle everyone, but we believe this is the best path under the current circumstances."

This round of layoffs will affect about 8,000 employees, with another 6,000 open positions remaining vacant, together impacting nearly 18% of Meta’s current workforce. The layoffs are expected to be executed on May 20.

The moves by Microsoft and Meta are not isolated events, but share the same structural context: Under the enormous capital expenditure pressures of AI infrastructure and data center construction, tech companies are freeing up resources for strategic investment by cutting labor costs.

Microsoft is currently in a capital-intensive cycle driven by AI, with data center expansion constituting its main financial pressure. Meta is also continuously increasing its investment in AI infrastructure. Amid uncertainty in revenue growth, reducing labor costs has become a direct way to balance capital allocation.

In addition, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal earlier this week, the Gates Foundation is planning to cut about 500 positions, accounting for roughly 20% of its workforce.

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