Thousands of federal employees have been informed that their positions may be at risk as part of the government’s commitment to downsizing the public service. The notices, known as “workforce adjustment notices,” do not guarantee job loss but signal significant changes ahead.
This initiative follows a comprehensive spending review in 2025, leading to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s announcement to reduce the federal workforce by 16,000 full-time equivalent positions over three years. The goal is to decrease the workforce to 333,000 by 2029, marking a reduction of 40,000 positions from its peak in 2024.
The downsizing efforts are causing concerns in Ottawa and Gatineau, where nearly half of the federal workforce is concentrated. The specific departments targeted for cuts and the timeline for informing affected employees have not been publicly disclosed.
Various departments have already initiated the workforce adjustment process. For instance, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency reported 1,371 notices and 587 job cuts out of a workforce of 6,380. Contrastingly, the Public Health Agency of Canada stated that no employees were affected by the review, despite earlier reports from unions.
Similar situations have unfolded in departments such as the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Library and Archives Canada, and the Department of Justice, where numerous notices have been issued, indicating pending job cuts. The process is also underway at organizations like the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions and the Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada.
Other notable departments affected include Global Affairs Canada, Public Safety Canada, and Health Canada, where significant job cuts are anticipated. Agencies like Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada are also included in the downsizing efforts.
The push for workforce adjustment extends to entities like the Canadian Museum of History, Shared Services Canada, and Statistics Canada, where positions are expected to be eliminated. Departments like Natural Resources Canada, Public Service Commission of Canada, and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada are also facing potential job losses as part of the government’s restructuring plan.
The process is ongoing, with multiple departments and agencies taking steps to realign their workforce in response to the government’s directive to streamline operations and reduce expenditures.