--- title: "Microsoft Layoffs 2026: 5,068 Jobs Cut (Latest: Oct 2026)" canonical: "https://www.metaintro.com/layoffs/microsoft" language: "en" author: "Metaintro" --- [![](/api/favicon-proxy?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fs2%2Ffavicons%3Fdomain%3Dmicrosoft.com%26sz%3D128)](/company/microsoft)Layoffs Tracker # Microsoft Layoffs 2026: 5,068 Jobs Cut Latest announcement (Oct 26, 2026): Microsoft opened a voluntary exit offer for about 60,000 employees in the U.S., Canada, India and the U.K. Eligible staff can opt to leave by early December and exit on Dec. 31. Locations named: United States; Canada; India; United Kingdom. The tracker lists 11 announcements for Microsoft since 2024, with 23,700 jobs reported affected. [Source(opens in new tab)](https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2026/10/26/introducing-a-voluntary-exit-offer/) Last updated Nov 4, 2026 [Microsoft open jobs](/company/microsoft#company-roles)[Microsoft company profile](/company/microsoft) _From our coverage, Oct 26, 2026: [60,000 Microsoft Workers Get a Voluntary Exit Offer Before a December Deadline](/blog/microsoft-voluntary-exit-offer-60000-employees-2026)_ Microsoft at a glance **Announcements tracked** : 11 **Jobs affected (reported)** : 23,700 **Layoffs** : 11 **Store closures** : 0 **Return-to-office mandates** : 0 Jobs affected are as reported by each source, summed over the 9 of 11 announcements that state a number. Latest announcement Oct 26, 2026 | Year | Jobs reported | Announcements | | --- | --- | --- | | 2024 | 3,550 | 3 | | 2025 | 15,082 | 4 | | 2026 | 5,068 | 4 | ## 2026 4 announcements · 5,068 jobs reported affected 1. Oct 26Oct 26LayoffUnited States · Canada · India · United Kingdom ### Announces layoffs Microsoft opened a voluntary exit offer for about 60,000 employees in the U.S., Canada, India and the U.K. Eligible staff can opt to leave by early December and exit on Dec. 31. - [Source(opens in new tab)](https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2026/10/26/introducing-a-voluntary-exit-offer/) - Our coverage:[60,000 Microsoft Workers Get a Voluntary Exit Offer Before a December Deadline](/blog/microsoft-voluntary-exit-offer-60000-employees-2026)![](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:640:480/q:80/plain/images/microsoft-voluntary-exit-offer-60000-employees-2026-hero.jpg) 2. Sep 22Sep 22Layoff ### Cuts 268 jobs Xbox is eliminating 268 more roles across Halo Studios, other first-party studios and central management functions, while Activision takes over development of the next Halo. Microsoft also began consultation on a proposed closure of Ninja Theory. - Our coverage:[268 More Xbox Staff Lose Jobs, and What the Halo Handover Means for Game Developers](/blog/xbox-268-job-cuts-halo-activision)![](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:640:480/q:80/plain/images/final-10335.jpg) 3. Jul 6Jul 6Layoff ### Cuts 4,800 jobs Microsoft announced about 4,800 job cuts, concentrated in its Xbox gaming division and commercial sales teams. Xbox is to shed up to 3,200 roles over twelve months while divesting several studios. - Our coverage:[Microsoft's Xbox Reset Triggers a Fresh Round of Gaming Layoffs in 2026](/blog/microsoft-xbox-reset-gaming-layoffs-2026) - Our coverage:[Microsoft Cuts 4,800 Jobs and Slashes 20 Percent of Xbox as AI Spending Takes Over](/blog/microsoft-4800-layoffs-xbox-cuts-ai-spending-2026) - Our coverage:[Microsoft's Layoff Payout Starts at 60 Days and Scales to 39 Weeks of Pay by Job Level](/blog/microsoft-layoff-severance-39-weeks-pay-2026) - Our coverage:[The Fed Picked a CEO Who Just Cut 3,200 Jobs to Lead Its Maximum-Employment Push](/blog/fed-ceo-3200-job-cuts-maximum-employment-2026) - Our coverage:[Game Studios Are Shrinking to One-Person Teams as AI Takes the Rest](/blog/game-studios-shrinking-to-one-person-teams-ai) - Our coverage:[Microsoft Headcount Fell for the First Time Since 2016 and R&D Roles Took the Hit](/blog/microsoft-headcount-fell-2026-rd-roles) - Our coverage:[State of the Workforce July 2026 - The Loyalty Trap](/blog/state-of-the-workforce-july-2026)![](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:640:480/q:80/plain/images/kai.mYqLf74d.png) 4. Jun 10Jun 10LayoffBeijing, China · Shanghai, China · China ### Announces layoffs Microsoft is cutting roles at its Azure cloud unit in mainland China, concentrated in Beijing and Shanghai, according to the South China Morning Post. Affected staff were notified with a July 6 end date and offered severance, with some offered relocation to Canada. - Our coverage:[Microsoft Cuts Up to 400 Azure Jobs in China as the Cloud Reshuffle Hits Beijing and Shanghai](/blog/microsoft-azure-china-layoffs-2026) - Our coverage:[Tech Layoffs in 2026: Where Job Cuts Stood in June](/blog/tech-layoffs-tracker-2026)![](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:640:480/q:80/plain/images/microsoft-azure-china-layoffs-2026-hero.png) ## 2025 4 announcements · 15,082 jobs reported affected 1. Sep 11Sep 11LayoffRedmond, WA, United States ### Cuts 42 jobs Microsoft cut 42 positions at its Redmond headquarters, its fifth consecutive month of layoffs. - Our coverage:[Microsoft Layoffs Hit Fifth Month](/blog/microsoft-layoffs)![](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:640:480/q:80/plain/images/microsoft-7.png) 2. Aug 5Aug 5LayoffRedmond, WA, United States ### Cuts 40 jobs Microsoft laid off another 40 employees at its Redmond, Washington headquarters. The article says this brings its Washington state job losses to 3,160 since May. - Our coverage:[Microsoft's Latest Washington Cuts](/blog/microsoft-washington-layoffs-september-2025)![](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:640:480/q:80/plain/images/microsoft-6.png) 3. Jul 2Jul 2Layoff ### Cuts 9,000 jobs Microsoft laid off roughly 9,000 employees in July across cloud, gaming and product teams. - Our coverage:[Microsoft Revamps Sales Team to Focus on AI Expertise](/blog/microsoft-sales-revamp) - Our coverage:[July Tech Layoffs Set Record](/blog/tech-layoffs-record-july-2025) - Our coverage:[Tech Layoffs Spike Last Week](/blog/tech-layoffs-spike-last-week-2025) - Our coverage:[Tech Layoffs Surge Through Summer 2025](/blog/tech-layoffs-july-august-september-2025-third-quarter) - Our coverage:[Global Layoff Wave Hits Major Companies](/blog/global-layoff-wave-hits-major-companies)![](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:640:480/q:80/plain/images/microsoft-4.png) 4. May 1May 1Layoff ### Cuts 6,000 jobs Microsoft laid off about 6,000 workers in May 2025 as the first of two 2025 rounds described in the article. - Our coverage:[Microsoft's Strategic Job Cuts: CEO Defends Layoffs as Necessary for Innovation](/blog/microsoft-job-cuts-strategy) - Our coverage:[Global Layoff Wave Hits Major Companies](/blog/global-layoff-wave-hits-major-companies)![](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:640:480/q:80/plain/images/microsoft-2.png) ## 2024 3 announcements · 3,550 jobs reported affected 1. Sep 12Sep 12Layoff ### Cuts 650 jobs Microsoft Gaming cut about 3% of its employees, roughly 650 workers, across development, marketing and HR following the Activision Blizzard acquisition. - Our coverage:[Microsoft Gaming Cuts 650 Jobs Amid Economic Challenges](/blog/microsoft-gaming-layoffs-2024)![](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:640:480/q:80/plain/images/drashtigarach_a_close-up_shot_of_a_black_Xbox_controller_rest_51bc1e5c-577e-42ef-8d63-fa498ec4b310_0.png) 2. Jun 3Jun 3Layoff ### Cuts 1,000 jobs Microsoft restructured its mixed reality division, laying off over 1,000 employees while continuing to sell and support HoloLens 2. - Our coverage:[Microsoft Restructures Mixed Reality Division Amid Layoffs](/blog/microsoft-layoffs-mixed-reality)![](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:640:480/q:80/plain/images/3efcae42-e1e5-4521-9039-5fc7140870d6.png) 3. Jan 26Jan 26Layoff ### Cuts 1,900 jobs Microsoft laid off 1,900 employees in its gaming business. - Our coverage:[A Comprehensive List of Layoffs In the Crypto Industry - January 31 2024](/blog/web3-tech-layoffs-update-february-2024) - Our coverage:[Gaming Industry Layoffs Continue with Microsoft Cutting 1,900 Employees](/blog/microsoft-gaming-layoffs-activision-blizzard-integration)![](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:640:480/q:80/plain/images/faecfd58-ddb4-42fa-851b-34dccdd7e5c5.png) ## More Microsoft coverage Metaintro articles about this company - [Microsoft Reorganized Into 2 Segments and Where the Hiring Is Heading in 2026](/blog/microsoft-two-segments-agents-infra-where-hiring-heading-2026)Sep 3, 2026 - [Oracle Cuts Up to 3,000 India Jobs as Microsoft Puts 500 Staff on Performance Plans](/blog/oracle-3000-india-job-cuts-microsoft-500-pip-2026)Sep 2, 2026 - [Microsoft Level 67 Engineers Report Up to 280,000 Dollars While Level 59 Starts at 111,000](/blog/microsoft-salary-levels-59-67-pay-bands-2026)Aug 31, 2026 - [Microsoft Puts a Spending Cap on How Much AI Its Engineers Can Use in 2026](/blog/microsoft-ai-token-budget-limits-engineers-2026)Aug 5, 2026 - [Apple, Microsoft and Meta Top a New Public Ranking of Employers That Ghost Applicants](/blog/ghosting-tracker-apple-microsoft-meta-applicants)Aug 3, 2026 - [What Microsoft's Next Round of Job Cuts Means for Tech Workers](/blog/what-microsofts-next-round-of-job-cuts-means-for-tech-workers)Jul 1, 2026 ## Data and archives Free to reuse with attribution to Metaintro Every published announcement, all years, one row per event. Column names are stable, and jobs affected are blank where no source states a number. [Download the dataCSV](/layoffs/data.csv)[Download the dataJSON](/layoffs/data.json) Jobs affected are counted only when a source states a number; “Not stated” means none was disclosed. [Methodology, sources and how to cite](/layoffs#methodology) Built for career movement ## Affected by the Microsoft cuts? Metaintro matches you to open roles across 50M jobs, so your next application goes to a team that is hiring. [Get started free](/signup)[Estimate your severance](/severance-calculator) - MatchCompare live roles against your current evidence. - PositionTurn proof projects into role-specific applications. - ImproveUse market feedback to keep the skill plan current. [Return to navigation](#main-navigation)