Microsoft offers to buy out a quarter of its workforce

Key points

• Microsoft has said it will offer voluntary buyouts to eligible employees in select parts of the company. CNBC reports the offer will reach about 60,000 staff, roughly a quarter of the global workforce.
• The company describes it as a chance for employees already considering moving on from Microsoft. The offer extends to qualifying staff in the United States, India, Canada and the United Kingdom.
• It follows a voluntary retirement package offered in April and Xbox layoffs in July, with about 30 percent of eligible staff accepting the earlier offer.