Canada · 2024–2026
Canadian Layoff Tracker
Aggregating layoffs across Canada from employment standards filings, government notices, SEDAR+ corporate disclosures, union announcements, and verified media reporting
Last updated: September 7, 2026
People Laid Off
Companies
Industries Affected
Canadian Layoff Trends
This tracker currently covers layoff events from 330 companies, affecting more than 141,812 workers across Canada. Data is sourced from government labour adjustment notices, SEDAR filings, union statements, and verified media reporting.
The technology, financial services, and retail sectors have historically accounted for the largest share of reported layoffs — a pattern consistent with broader North American economic cycles. Ontario and British Columbia, home to the greatest concentration of corporate headquarters, tend to represent the largest share of national layoff volumes.
The Waterloo Region District School Board has declared 119 teachers surplus, including 97 elementary and 22 secondary teachers, with contracts terminating at the end of the year. The layoffs are part of a provincial directive for conservative staffing due to changing enrolment projections.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is implementing nearly 350 job cuts while simultaneously hiring 1,000 border guards. The agency is undergoing a restructuring that involves both workforce reductions and targeted recruitment efforts.
The Waterloo Catholic District School Board has declared 29 elementary teachers surplus due to an end to rapid enrolment growth. The board has already recalled 10 affected teachers and remains optimistic about recalling most or all before the next school year.
Langara College is suspending enrolment in its journalism program indefinitely, with the current cohort of 20 students graduating in spring 2027 being the last. The program will reduce from seven instructors to three full-time instructors plus one or two part-time teachers.
The Ottawa Hospital announced plans to eliminate 400 jobs across its three campuses as a regional trauma centre. The cuts are attributed to inadequate provincial funding despite the hospital having operated with a surplus the previous year.
Bestar Inc., a Quebec furniture maker owned by private equity firm Novacap, is shutting down its two factories in Quebec including the Lac-Mégantic plant and the Sherbrooke plant. Approximately 120 unionized workers in Lac-Mégantic will lose their jobs in addition to management employees, with a formal announcement expected on Thursday morning.
Starbucks announced layoffs affecting 900 employees across the United States and Canada. The company also plans to close stores in both countries as part of this restructuring effort.
The College of New Caledonia announced 80 layoffs representing an 11% workforce reduction following approval of the 2026-27 operating budget. The layoffs are accompanied by the closure of the Fort St. James campus and the cancellation and suspension of 26 programs.
Library and Archives Canada is eliminating 161 positions over three years, including 56 permanent employees, as part of the Carney government's public service spending review requiring up to 15 per cent operational budget cuts. The bulk of savings of $13.6 million will come from the access to information and privacy (ATIP) unit, though the organization is receiving a permanent $20 million annual funding injection to help address systemic access-to-information shortfalls.
The Immigrant Education Society in Calgary laid off more than 40 employees, mostly language instructors, in March 2026 due to a 15% federal budget cut. The organization also cut 26 language classes as of April 1 and plans to eliminate all higher-level classes beyond CLB 4 by September, affecting approximately 500 students.
Oracle laid off between 20,000 and 30,000 employees globally, including Canada, despite strong financial performance with 22% revenue growth and cloud expansion. The layoffs affected employees across multiple regions including America, India, Canada, and Latin America, with reports indicating senior employees and long-tenured veterans were disproportionately impacted.
Cape Breton University is laying off 17 employees and impacting approximately 50 positions total through early retirements, non-renewed term positions, and unfilled vacancies. The cuts are accompanied by tuition increases and are driven by significant enrolment pressures and an expected $77 million loss in revenue over three years.
South Shore Furniture, a Quebec-based furniture maker founded in 1940, is closing all operations and laying off all 126 employees. The company cited a 77% drop in sales between 2022 and 2025 due to cheap Asian furniture flooding the market and American tariffs impacting cross-border sales.
Rogers Communications is offering buyouts to thousands of employees as part of cost-tightening measures. The company is using voluntary buyout packages to reduce its workforce. According to Rogers: 1) The offer is to 1/2 of the 25,000 total number of employees. Not 25,000. 2) Employees will not be forced to leave - optional program. 3) It's in response to reduced profitability across the telecom industry.
Lakeridge Health in Oshawa has cut approximately 40 jobs over the past year, including three full-time dietary aide positions that were not replaced last month. The layoffs have resulted in worsening working conditions, staff shortages, and increased workload for remaining employees at the healthcare facility.
Coast Wholesale Appliances Inc., a national appliance retailer with 300 employees across 17 showrooms and 9 distribution centres, has filed for creditor protection under the Creditors Arrangement Act. Staff at locations including the Kelowna store are being laid off as the company faces liquidation.
Northwest Territories school boards are warning of major layoffs affecting between 250 and 350 support workers across 49 N.W.T. schools due to the loss of $58 million in federal funding previously provided through Jordan's Principle. The cuts will impact education assistants, counsellors, social-emotional coaches, and cultural programming staff, with jobs predominantly held by Indigenous women outside of Yellowknife.
London Health Sciences Centre is cutting nursing positions to align staffing levels with peer hospitals, with cuts totaling more than 200 positions. The reductions will occur through attrition over three years.
Chatham-Kent Health Alliance announced it will cut 49 positions, with half coming from reducing its float staff pool. The cuts will largely be accomplished through not filling vacancies.
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