October 2025

Canadian North pilots face layoffs during the first week of bargaining negotiations. The layoffs affect pilots employed by the airline during active contract negotiations.

SRTX Inc., maker of Sheertex pantyhose, is laying off close to 100 employees as part of a strategic review that could result in a company sale or recapitalization. The Montreal-based company hopes to recall the laid-off staff after the review process concludes.

Canadian National Railway Co. laid off approximately 400 managers across rail offices in Canada and the United States due to declining freight volumes related to the U.S. trade war. Key cargo segments including ores and metals (down 10%), automobiles (down 6%), and forest products (down 7.5%) have experienced steep declines in carloads.

Amazon announced plans to cut 14,000 corporate jobs globally, with employees in Canada receiving layoff notifications as part of broader cost-reduction efforts related to AI advancement. The cuts primarily affected managers at levels five to seven across retail, e-commerce, human resources, logistics, and other business divisions.

Canada Post has laid off dozens of managers as part of a restructuring effort amid an ongoing labour dispute. The layoffs occur as mail and parcel delivery resume on a limited basis with rotating strikes continuing.

Kitchener Public Library announced a restructuring that will result in 5 layoffs while simultaneously creating 4 new full-time positions and 1 new part-time position. The union representing library workers warns that the changes will reduce the number of staff overseeing community programs from 36 to 12 full-time roles, potentially impacting library services and specialized programs.

Sinclar Group Forest Products announced a 40 per cent reduction in work hours affecting approximately 350 sawmill workers across three B.C. mills (Lakeland Mills in Prince George, Apollo Forest Products in Fort St. James, and Nechako Lumber Co. in Vanderhoof) effective October 27, 2025. The cutbacks were attributed to Trump tariffs and duties on Canadian softwood exports, combined with provincial policy challenges and fibre supply uncertainty.

The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) has announced 300 job cuts as the transit authority faces two upcoming strikes. The layoffs come amid labor tensions with STM mechanics and other staff.

PACCAR announced 300 additional layoffs at its Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec plant due to heavy-duty truck tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. This follows previous layoffs in December 2024 and July 2025, prompting Unifor to call for a domestic procurement plan to save the facility.

GM Canada is cutting one of three shifts at its Oshawa plant, affecting up to 1,200 autoworkers throughout the auto supply chain, with approximately 500 being direct GM employees. The layoffs take effect on Friday, January 31, 2026, as the company scales back Canadian operations citing forecasted demand and the evolving trade environment.

Molson Coors announced layoffs that will include Canadian workers as part of broader job cuts. The company stated that the layoffs are not driven by tariffs.

Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) is facing planned federal funding cuts of approximately 80 percent, with full-time staff numbers expected to decrease by almost 200 employees. The cuts would significantly impact grassroots and frontline organizations across Canada that provide support to survivors of gender-based violence.

Saskatchewan Polytechnic has laid off 124 staff members (58 non-faculty and 66 faculty) since January 2025, with the majority of non-faculty cuts occurring since August. The layoffs are attributed to a roughly 40 percent drop in international student enrollment due to federal immigration policy changes, creating a substantial revenue shortfall.

Selkirk College is closing its Kootenay Studio Arts campus in Nelson at the end of the academic year, resulting in the loss of 10 full-time and part-time positions. The closure is attributed to financial pressures caused by federal cuts to international student study permits, which has reduced a major revenue source for the college.

Collège Nordique Francophone in Yellowknife, N.W.T. announced layoffs of 7 employees (35% of its 20-person staff) following a significant federal funding cut in September 2025. The college's annual federal funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage was reduced from approximately $2.8 million to about $1.35 million due to a new bilateral funding agreement for minority-language education.

Nearly 100 library workers across three New Brunswick school districts received layoff notices on Friday, October 10, 2025, just before the Thanksgiving weekend. This marks the third round of layoffs following a $43 million provincial budget shortfall, after previous court orders had required the workers' reinstatement.

Ontario's 24 public colleges are facing significant job losses and program cuts due to reduced international student tuition revenue, limited provincial funding, and a seven-year tuition freeze, with up to 10,000 college jobs already lost in the past year. Efficiency reports recommend colleges automate services, outsource operations, merge campuses, and consider consolidating institutions to reduce costs, sparking concerns from the support staff union about further layoffs and campus closures.

General Motors is cutting one of three shifts at its Oshawa plant in January 2026, resulting in approximately 2,000 layoffs. Despite the shift reduction, GM is investing $280 million to build the next generation of Chevrolet Silverados at the plant, which currently employs around 3,000 workers.

Scotiabank is laying off staff across its Canadian banking unit as part of its multiyear strategic turnaround plan launched in late 2023. The restructuring aims to accelerate execution of the refresh and improve efficiency in acquiring primary clients and enhancing digital capabilities.

The SAAQ (Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec), Quebec's auto insurance board, is eliminating 100 jobs as part of the Legault government's cost-cutting measures. The layoffs were announced on October 14, 2025.

Service Canada is eliminating 250 passport-related jobs in October 2025. The layoffs have been characterized as a direct attack on workers by critics.

Imperial Oil announced it will eliminate 20% of its workforce (approximately 900 jobs) by the end of 2027, with most positions based in Calgary, as part of a global restructuring to increase efficiency and reduce annual expenses by $150 million. The remaining Calgary positions will be relocated to the Strathcona Refinery in Edmonton in late 2028, with the company maintaining a small presence in Calgary.

ExxonMobil announced a global restructuring plan that will cut 2,000 jobs worldwide, with some positions being eliminated in Newfoundland and Labrador. The company stated that ExxonMobil Canada will see a reduction of approximately 20 percent of positions by the end of 2027, though the exact number of N.L. job losses was not disclosed.

Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, B.C. is laying off approximately 40 staff members (with union bumping considered) out of 65 initially notified, due to a $7-10 million budget deficit. The layoffs are part of broader cost-cutting measures and follow a federal decision to reduce international student permits, which has created financial pressures across Canadian universities.