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| |  | Microsoft said buyouts are not a replacement for layoffs and that both are part of its approach to reducing its workforce. (Simon Ray / Unsplash) |
| Microsoft Offers Buyouts to a Quarter of Its Workers | On Monday, Microsoft’s Chief People Officer (corporate-speak for HR) Amy Coleman sent a memo to staff offering voluntary buyouts to about 60,000 employees in an effort to continue reducing the number of people working at the company. This comes after layoffs and previous buyout offers earlier this year. [GeekWire, KUOW] | - Not, not AI-related: As GeekWire explains, the company is under pressure to “hold down operating expenses as it pours tens of billions of dollars into data centers and AI infrastructure.” A spokesperson told KUOW artificial intelligence is not driving the buyout programs. But the company has been cutting employees for several years now as it simultaneously invests those aforementioned billions into the infrastructure needed to train and run AI models. Microsoft has forecast $175 billion in capital expenditures for the 2026 calendar year. You do the math. [GeekWire, KUOW]
- Multiple rounds of buyouts and layoffs: Microsoft cut 4,800 jobs in July, including about 600 here in Washington. Then, it cut hundreds more jobs across the company in September. In the spring, about 30% of the roughly 8,750 eligible U.S. employees took a previous buyout offer. In 2025, Microsoft cut 15,000 jobs. The company says buyouts are not a replacement for layoffs and that both are part of its approach. [GeekWire]
- Buyout details so far: Staffers eligible for this round of buyouts include employees working in AI experiences, Copilot, finance, human resources, Xbox, and Windows + Devices. Microsoft told KUOW, the buyout offers are comparable to the company’s standard severance package, which typically includes base pay for a certain amount of time (dependent on tenure), stock options, health care, and career planning services. [Reuters, KUOW]
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| | | This week on Weaving our Future: King County has grown fast, but so many don't earn enough to keep up with the high cost of living, and face limited opportunity to build family and community wealth. How do we make sure everyone benefits from our region's explosive growth? How do we build an economy that works for everyone? In this episode we explore dignity at work and new models for business and community development with Ana Gaeta, Deric Gruen, and the amazing Jane C. Hu. |
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| What Seattle’s Talking About |
| 🐄 Bird flu in WA cows: The first cattle infected with bird flu were detected in Yakima County a few weeks ago. Now, the virus has also been found in a Benton County dairy herd. This is a good reminder not to eat or drink unpasteurized dairy products. Infected cows can shed the virus in their milk, making raw milk and cheese unsafe. Pasteurized milk remains safe. [Seattle Times] | | 📮 The feds claim 400 non-citizens voted in WA: The top prosecutor for the federal government in Seattle claims more than 400 non-citizens have been voting here. Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said his office is “assessing the information sought to ensure that our response complies with applicable state and federal laws.” He said the timing just a week before the election is “intended to cast unfounded suspicion on the results.” [Washington State Standard] | |  | Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said one of the 405 records shared by federal authorities, allegedly showing voter fraud, was from 1994. (Sam J. Leeds / City Cast Seattle) |
| 🚨 ICE officers increasingly aggressive: South Seattle and Burien community members who document ICE arrests recently witnessed a masked ICE officer carrying what appeared to be a semi-automatic rifle, and a separate observer reported having a handgun pointed at him. ICE observers say the encounters reflect what they believe is an increasingly aggressive approach to immigration enforcement in western Washington. [KING 5] |
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