Canadian Layoff Tracker

OpenText, a Waterloo-based technology company, has reportedly eliminated a significant number of jobs in March 2026 as part of what some employees describe as a recurring annual practice. The layoffs represent approximately 5% of the workforce and are characterized as part of a 'yearly spring cleaning' business optimization effort.

The Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority (SLFNHA) is suspending its medical transportation program in Thunder Bay, Ontario as of April 1, 2026, resulting in the layoff of more than 20 First Nation staff members. The program suspension is due to lack of proportional funding from Indigenous Services Canada and the Non-Insured Health Benefits program despite providing approximately 38,000 rides since its launch in April 2024.

Canada's largest hospital network, University Health Network (UHN), cut 28 registered nurse positions, primarily in a critical kidney care unit (hemodialysis unit). The Ontario Nurses Association warned that these cuts worsen staffing shortages, burnout, and patient safety risks in a province already facing the lowest number of registered nurses per capita in the country.

Algoma Steel is laying off 300 employees beginning Monday, March 24, 2026. The layoffs are partially attributed to tariffs impacting the steelmaking operation in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

JD Power rescinded summer internship offers for approximately 25 Western University students just weeks before they were scheduled to start in May 2026. The company cited the shifting engineering and software landscape driven by AI and automation as reasons for reducing demand for entry-level roles.

The Bureau of Pension Advocates, a Veterans Affairs bureau that provides free legal advice to veterans and RCMP members denied disability benefits, is eliminating almost 100 temporary positions including 24 lawyers. This represents a 44 per cent workforce reduction that unions and MPs warn could negatively impact services for veterans.

Peel District School Board issued layoff notices affecting 331 permanent teachers (159 secondary and 172 elementary) effective August 31, 2026, citing declining enrollment and budget constraints. The layoffs were announced after the Ontario government took over the board's operations in January 2026 and rejected the board's request to use $1-2 million from its $130 million reserves to prevent the job cuts.

Fifty-five front-line nurses and personal support workers at Ottawa's Bruyère Health are facing layoffs, according to their union. The organization is referring to the action as a 'redeployment process.'

Jahn Engineering, a Windsor-based tool and die shop, has experienced a nearly 70% drop in sales following U.S. policy changes including tariff increases and EV subsidy withdrawals, forcing the company to conduct layoffs. The disruption stems from major automakers canceling or delaying vehicle orders, creating widespread uncertainty across the North American auto supply chain.

Hudson's Bay laid off 41 staff as it continues to unwind operations one year after filing for creditor protection on March 7, 2025. The retailer closed all 80 of its stores by June 2025 due to $1.1 billion in insurmountable debt, with 73 of the 96 vacated HBC and Saks properties remaining unopened as of March 2026.

Lightspeed Commerce has significantly reduced headcount in its customer support team after AI resolved over 80 percent of inbound chat interactions. The company boosted overall gross margins through this AI-driven workforce reduction.

Stellantis laid off approximately 20 salaried, non-union employees at its Brampton assembly plant on March 6, 2026, for a 55-week period. The layoffs follow the company's decision to move Jeep Compass production from Brampton to Belvidere, Illinois due to U.S. tariffs on Canadian autos.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police will cut 76 positions at its national headquarters in Ottawa as the national police force looks to find billions of dollars in savings in its budget.

George Brown Polytechnic triggered a mass termination process for 51 employees (22 hourly and 29 salaried) due to a 29% decline in full-time enrolment and financial pressures from federal international student caps and stagnant provincial funding. The layoffs represent cuts across all departments following the suspension of several hospitality and culinary arts programs at the St. James campus.

Conestoga College cut nearly 400 full-time staff positions in March 2026, including 181 faculty members and 197 support staff who either left the college or were forced into part-time roles. This represents one of the largest Ontario college layoffs on record.

Algoma Steel laid off approximately 1,000 steelworkers in March 2026 due to U.S. tariffs and the company's transition to electric steelmaking. The layoffs significantly impacted the Sault Ste. Marie region and eliminated potential job creation opportunities tied to a failed South Korean submarine contract bid.

The Canada Border Services Agency is reducing its workforce by 348 employees and has sent notices of potential layoffs to 708 people, with cuts exclusively affecting national headquarters branches. The job cuts are in response to a 2% budget reduction of approximately $52 million and are part of the federal government's broader effort to reduce its workforce by 16,000 full-time equivalent positions over the next three years.

Humber Polytechnic is offering “voluntary exit packages” to staff as it confronts mounting financial pressure, warning that deeper job cuts could follow if the uptake is too low by March 9, 2026.

The Department of Justice is cutting approximately 73 employees from its Indigenous rights and relations unit, representing more than one-fifth of the 328 at-risk positions across the entire department. The Treasury Board's latest numbers show the Justice Department plans to cut 197 employees and 37 executives.

For departments outside the core public service, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has told CTV News Ottawa 587 positions will be cut in its department.