Vancouver, British Columbia

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.

A Vancouver Park Board manager who successfully transformed a concession stand into a lively destination patio was laid off. The specific reasons for the layoff are not detailed in the available information.

GeoComply, a Vancouver-headquartered gaming cybersecurity company, announced it is cutting 15% of its workforce (68 employees out of 450 total). The company frames the layoffs as a strategic evolution aimed at streamlining operations and incorporating AI to improve efficiencies.

University Canada West laid off 240 of its more than 800 staff and faculty members at its downtown Vancouver campuses in a sweeping restructuring. The layoffs are attributed to government-imposed caps on international student enrolment, which have significantly impacted student recruitment at the private for-profit institution.

The City of Vancouver entered into 79 severance agreements with non-union employees in 2025, marking a record surge—as many as the previous seven years combined and almost nine times the annual average. The municipality has refused to disclose the total dollar cost of these severance payouts, despite having released this information in previous years.

The Vancouver Art Gallery is cutting approximately 30% of its staff (34 employees) and reducing programming by 30% to balance its budget. The reductions include 16 voluntary departures and 18 layoffs, with additional job losses possible through a union seniority process affecting all departments.

Microsoft announced layoffs of 9,000 employees globally, representing 4% of its workforce, as part of a major restructuring effort. The article mentions a Microsoft building in Vancouver, BC, Canada, indicating Canadian operations are affected by these layoffs.

Klue Labs CEO Jason Smith announced layoffs of 85 employees (40% of workforce) in June 2025 as part of a strategic shift to integrate generative AI into all operations and improve competitiveness. The company offered voluntary buyout packages while also conducting involuntary layoffs across all departments, with the expectation that remaining employees would embrace AI tools.

Rennie cut its Vancouver headquarters office workforce from 123 to 92 staff members due to prolonged weakness in condominium pre-sales across Metro Vancouver and broader structural economic headwinds. The layoff was driven by continued market challenges in British Columbia and Canada, as well as accelerating technological trends in real estate marketing practices.

The City of Vancouver has implemented a back-to-office mandate requiring non-union employees to return five days per week and unionized staff three days per week starting January 1, 2026, amid cost-cutting measures ahead of the 2026 budget. Some non-union employees have already been laid off in recent months, with potentially hundreds of additional job cuts expected, and the city manager has mentioned offering early retirement and incentives for departure from the organization.