Microsoft offers buyouts to roughly a quarter of its workforce

• The Redmond-based tech giant has been investing heavily in data centers to support the AI boom, straining its finances, CNBC reports.

Flashback: The company laid off about 15,000 workers last year, including about 3,200 in Washington, according to the Seattle Times.

• Then, in July, the company cut another 4,800 jobs — about 2% of its global workforce.

State of play: The new buyout offer consists of a standard severance package, the Times reports, and has been extended to eligible employees at the vice president level and below in the U.S., Canada, India and the United Kingdom.

• It follows a voluntary retirement program the company offered a smaller segment of employees earlier this year.

What's next: Eligible employees have until early December to decide whether to accept the company's latest offer, Business Insider reports.

• Those who accept will exit at the end of the year.