The federal government has sent thousands of public service workers layoff notices as part of its plans to cut costs on operations.
According to the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the union that represents federal government employees, 1,775 workforce adjustment notices were issued to its members last week.
“This is part of the federal government’s plan to slash critical public services and cut tens of thousands of public service jobs over the next three years,” stated Sharon DeSousa, PSAC national president. “When jobs are cut, programs slow down, people wait longer, and communities lose the support they rely on every day.”
The decision is a part of Ottawa’s cost-cutting plan that Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne revealed last year. He asked a majority of government departments to decrease spending on federal programs by 7.5 per cent by the spring of 2026, 10 per cent the year after, and 15 per cent by 2028.
JHVEPhoto/Shutterstock
Here’s how many layoff notices were sent to impacted government departments and agencies last week, according to PSAC:
Public Services and Procurement Canada (730): Manages procurement, real estate, and administrative services. Cuts could delay contracts, maintenance, and procurement of goods and services.
Shared Services Canada (530): Delivers IT infrastructure and cybersecurity to federal departments. Cuts could threaten our country’s cybersecurity and slow digital service delivery and system maintenance.
Statistics Canada (350): Provides vital data on the economy, population, and society that support important decision-making. Cuts could delay the release of necessary data or limit the scope of statistics gathered.
Treasury Board Secretariat (125): Provides central oversight of government operations and administration. Cuts could affect how programs operate and weaken internal governance.
Other affected agencies include Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (25), Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (11), and Pacific Economic Development Canada (2). These numbers only reflect PSAC members.
“The government is cutting first and explaining later,” added DeSousa. “Workers and the people who depend on public services are in the dark. You don’t build a stronger country by gutting the very programs that make up its foundation.”
In December, the federal government began sending Early Retirement Incentive notices to tens of thousands of public service workers.
A spokesperson for the President of the Treasury Board of Canada said approximately 68,000 early retirement notices had been issued to public servants. This is a part of the government’s Early Retirement Incentive, which was announced in Budget 2025.