Nearly 10,000 federal public servants across Canada were warned this week that their jobs could be at risk, according to the unions representing them, as the federal government moves ahead with major spending reductions. Unions say thousands of workers across multiple departments have received “workforce adjustment notices,” which signal that positions may be affected by upcoming cuts.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada reports that more than 5,000 of its members were notified, including employees at Global Affairs Canada, Transport Canada, Health Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, as well as Public Safety, Canadian Heritage and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Two other major unions say their members were also affected, bringing the total close to 10,000.
Union leaders warn the cuts could have serious consequences for public services, research capacity and public safety. The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada says reductions to science-based departments could weaken Canada’s ability to respond to emergencies, protect the environment and ensure public safety, while the Canadian Association of Professional Employees flagged impacts at departments such as Employment and Social Development Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
The notices come as Ottawa undertakes a “comprehensive expenditure review” aimed at cutting roughly $60 billion in program and administrative spending over five years. The federal government plans to reduce the public service by about 40,000 jobs from its 2023–24 peak, trim executive positions and significantly cut management and consulting costs.
To limit involuntary layoffs, the government has begun offering an early retirement program to tens of thousands of eligible public servants, hoping attrition will absorb much of the reduction. Unions, however, caution that even with retirements, the scale of the cuts could lead to slower services, longer wait times and weakened programs for Canadians.