Canadian Layoff Tracker

Toronto-based biotech AI startup BenchSci cut 23% of its staff (about 83 jobs) since May 2025 as it shifts to become an AI-first company, using generative AI tools to automate work previously done by humans. The layoffs include a 20% reduction in software engineering roles and are part of the company's strategy to increase efficiency rather than responding to business challenges.

Titan Tool and Die Limited has locked out unionized workers at its Windsor auto parts stamping facility, with roughly 60 employees on staff but only 27 actively working due to prior layoffs. The lockout began on August 11, 2025, after the collective agreement expired on July 31 and the company requested concessions, citing the need to remain competitive in the tariff economy.

Burgundy Diamond Mines laid off several hundred workers, including 119 union members, at the Ekati diamond mine in N.W.T. after shutting down operations at the Point Lake development, which became sub-economic with current diamond prices. The company plans to restart Point Lake in mid-2026 and has released a life-of-mine plan extending operations until 2040, with laid-off workers eligible to reclaim their positions if reinstated within a year.

Saskatchewan Polytechnic is cutting 14 jobs through layoff notices to out-of-scope employees and leaving 8 vacant positions unfilled due to a significant decline in international student enrolment caused by federal immigration policy changes. This is the second round of layoffs in 2025, following 27 job cuts in April, as the institution faces a budget shortfall of up to $15 million for the 2025-26 academic year.

Alexandria Moulding, a North Glengarry-based building products and moulding manufacturer, confirmed that 25 employees out of nearly 400 were laid off in June 2025 as part of a strategic realignment to phase out certain manufacturing activities. The company cited evolving customer needs and rising input costs as factors in the decision, while continuing to operate and invest in its door-hanging business for long-term growth.

The New Brunswick government has applied for a judicial review and stay of a labour board decision that ordered the province to rescind layoff notices for library workers in three school districts (Anglophone West, Anglophone South, and Francophone South) and reinstate reduced hours for school administrative assistants. Finance Minister René Legacy stated the government intends to proceed with the library worker layoffs once legally permitted, arguing library workers do not provide direct support to students.

Canadian Tire trimmed its corporate workforce in July 2025 as part of a broader restructuring initiative. The specific number of employees affected and detailed restructuring plans were not available in the article title.

Island Health has eliminated 117 non-union jobs as part of a cost-cutting exercise under provincial direction, representing approximately 5% of the organization's 2,500 non-contract employees. The cuts are part of a mandate to reduce administrative roles and redirect resources toward front-line patient care, with a target of up to 10% reduction expected to continue for a few more weeks.

Conestoga College eliminated four senior executive positions with a collective annual salary of $1.2 million, including both deans of the School of Interdisciplinary and School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts, as well as the senior vice president academic and students. The restructuring also impacted nine other senior positions and comes as the college navigates financial challenges stemming from a 48% decrease in international student enrollment due to federal study permit restrictions.

Fanshawe College is proceeding with a 35% staffing cut in 2025. The layoffs represent a significant reduction in the institution's workforce.

A report predicts that the number of federal public service jobs in Canada could drop by almost 60,000. The article references Minister of Finance and National Revenue François-Philippe Champagne but does not provide details on implementation timeline or specific reasons for the predicted job losses.

OMERS Ventures, the VC arm of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System, laid off several employees from its U.S. investment team, including senior managing partner Michael Yang, as part of a strategic shift to refocus on Canadian investments. The layoffs reduced the firm's headcount from 19 employees in June to 12 total, with the U.S.-based investment team reduced from two-thirds to half of the firm's investment staff.

Metrolinx laid off more than 40 customer service employees from the GO Contact Centre during the week of July 7, 2025, transferring their functions to HGS Canada, a company headquartered in India. The layoffs occurred days before Metrolinx apologized for using AI in a social media response to customer concerns following a Coldplay concert at Rogers Stadium.

Arbec Forest Products announced a six-week shutdown of its OSB mill in Miramichi, New Brunswick in September, with 29 permanent job eliminations out of 113 affected employees. The closure is due to a market-related inventory adjustment, with the company citing tariff impacts on US exports as the reason for the production pause.

Vancouver, Canada-based Canfor Corp. is closing sawmills in Darlington and Estill, South Carolina, laying off 290 workers. The company cited persistently weak market conditions and sustained financial losses as reasons for the mill closures.

Ridgewood Industries, a furniture manufacturer in Cornwall, Ontario, will close in September 2025 after 55 years in business, resulting in 300 job losses. Parent company Dorel Industries cited the U.S. economy and the need to return to profitability as reasons for the closure of the domestic manufacturing operations.

Bayer's BlueRock Therapeutics is cutting 50 jobs in 2025 with Canadian employees affected. The layoff announcement was published on July 17, 2025.

Burgundy Diamond Mines announced the suspension of open pit operations at Ekati Diamond Mine in the Northwest Territories, laying off several hundred employees and contractors, with the Union of Northern Workers confirming approximately 160 of its members were affected. The company continues mining at the Misery underground site while the layoffs are attributed to weak diamond market conditions, reduced demand in China, and competition from lab-grown diamonds.

Canadian EV charger company Flo is closing its Quebec plant and laying off 80 employees across Canada and the U.S. The company cited operational restructuring as the reason for the closure.

Rogers Communications ended its contract with external customer-service firm Foundever, resulting in approximately 900 job losses across Canada as the telecom company shifts to AI-powered chat support. The layoffs affect a mix of short and long-serving staff who were previously outsourced to Foundever for customer service roles.