Google has initiated a voluntary severance program for employees across five countries as part of a broader strategy to manage operational costs while prioritizing investments in artificial intelligence. The initiative, which was expanded in June, currently covers staff in Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and Switzerland.
A company spokesperson confirmed the expansion, noting that similar voluntary exit programs had been implemented within specific teams earlier in 2025 before being broadened to these additional regions. Google has not disclosed the total number of employees who have opted to participate in the program.
The voluntary exit offers are not universal across the company. Divisions identified as critical to Google's future growth, specifically the DeepMind AI research unit and Google Cloud, remain excluded from the program. These areas continue to be focal points for hiring as the parent company, Alphabet, balances rising AI-related expenditures with overall expense management.
In Switzerland, where Google maintains a significant engineering hub in Zurich with approximately 5,000 staff, the impact of the program is already underway. Employees who accepted the offer in June began departing the company in August. The severance package provided in this region included one month of salary for every year of service, capped at a maximum of 12 months. Reports indicate that at least four individuals from a single team of 50 accepted the terms.
This move by Google reflects a wider trend in the technology sector as firms adjust their workforce structures to accommodate the heavy costs associated with AI infrastructure. Microsoft recently introduced its own voluntary buyout program, which is available to approximately 60,000 employees—or 27 percent of its total workforce—across the United States, Canada, India, and the UK. Eligible Microsoft staff who accept the offer are scheduled to leave the company by the end of December.
