Google offers voluntary exit to employees in five countries as AI spending rises
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Google has expanded its voluntary exit programme to employees in five countries as the company looks to control costs while increasing investment in artificial intelligence (AI), Reuters reported.
The latest round of offers covers employees in Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Switzerland.
The programme was first introduced in some teams earlier in 2025 and extended to more countries in June. Google has not disclosed how many employees have accepted the offers.
A company spokesperson confirmed the expansion to Reuters. The programme does not cover all divisions, with AI research unit DeepMind and Google Cloud reportedly excluded. Both are among the businesses where Google is looking to strengthen its workforce.
The move allows Google to reduce or reorganise staff in certain areas while continuing to hire in divisions considered important to its future growth. Alphabet, Google's parent company, has been increasing spending on AI infrastructure and development.
The impact of the programme is already visible in Switzerland, where employees received the offer in June, and those who accepted began leaving in August. Google has around 5,000 employees in the country, including a major engineering centre in Zurich.
The severance package offered one month's salary for every year of service, capped at 12 months. At least four employees from one team of around 50 reportedly accepted the offer.
Google's move comes as other technology companies reassess staffing requirements while spending heavily on AI.
Microsoft recently announced a voluntary buyout programme for eligible employees at level 70 or below in the US, Canada, India and the UK. The offer could cover around 60,000 employees, or 27% of its 223,000-strong workforce. Those who accept will leave the company at the end of December.
The programme follows a voluntary retirement scheme announced in April and job cuts affecting 4,800 employees in July. Microsoft has also been committing billions of dollars to data centres and computing infrastructure to support its AI operations.