Microsoft hikes pay for employees worldwide

Microsoft is making what it calls its biggest investment in overall compensation for its employees in its history, as it jostles to keep talent from fleeing to rival technology companies like Facebook , Google and Amazon .

Chief Executive Steve Ballmer announced the changes in an email sent to employees Thursday morning.

All of Microsoft Corp.'s nearly 90,000 employees worldwide will see more cash upfront as compensation is shifted away from stock awards. As well, about 80 percent of workers will now receive 100 percent of their bonus and stock awards, up from about half of employees previously.

The changes are biggest where the competition for talent has been fiercest _ for early and mid-level research and development staff, mid-level employees in general, and for workers in hotspots like China and India.