If you ask any of the top recruitment agencies in Canada, they say the labour market has been anything but steady in 2026. U.S. tariffs, a cooling public sector, AI-driven restructuring, and industry-specific pressure (steel, telecom, retail, post-secondary education) have combined to produce a steady drip of job cuts across the country.
Statistics Canada reported 42,000 jobs were lost in August, while the unemployment rate held steady at 6.4%. But which companies are laying off the most people?
Below is a ranked list of the companies and organizations that have laid off, or announced plans to lay off, the most employees in Canada so far in 2026, based on confirmed, Canada-specific figures.
Key Takeaways
- The federal government was the single largest source of job cuts in Canada in 2026: Health Canada, Shared Services Canada, Statistics Canada, PSPC, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and the CRA collectively eliminated well over 4,000 positions.
- Steel and manufacturing took a direct hit from U.S. tariffs: most visibly at Algoma Steel, which cut about a third of its Sault Ste. Marie workforce.
- Telecom is in the middle of a major cost-cutting cycle: Bell, Telus, and Rogers all announced significant reductions or buyout programs in 2026.
- Post-secondary education and school boards: They continue to shed jobs as international student enrolment declines and provincial budgets tighten.
- Tech and AI-driven restructuring: Restructuring at multinational companies continues to impact Canadian offices, even though most report headcount figures only at the global level.
Top 20 Confirmed Layoffs in Canada, 2026 (So Far)
1. Algoma Steel: ~1,000 jobs
Industry: Steel manufacturing. Algoma Steel is a major integrated steelmaker based in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, producing hot- and cold-rolled steel sheet and plate. Reason: U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel altered Algoma’s access to its biggest market, accelerating a planned shift to electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking a year early. The layoffs, affecting roughly one-third of the Sault Ste. Marie workforce, took effect March 23, 2026.
2. Health Canada: 1,000+ jobs
Industry: Federal government / public health agency. Reason: Workforce adjustment as part of broader federal cost-cutting; layoff notices went out to more than 1,000 employees in January 2026.
3. Shared Services Canada: 1,000+ jobs
Industry: Federal government IT services agency, responsible for the technology backbone of most federal departments. Reason: Federal spending reductions; more than 1,000 positions slashed as part of government-wide restructuring announced in January 2026.
Job search tips: How to Expertly Address a Past Layoff in an Interview
4. Statistics Canada: ~850 jobs
Industry: Federal government / national statistical agency. Reason: Budget-driven downsizing, including a 12% cut to its executive ranks, as part of the federal government’s 2026 fiscal restraint measures.
5. Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC): 700+ jobs
Industry: Federal government agency managing procurement and real property for other departments. Reason: Part of the same wave of federal workforce reductions that hit Health Canada and Statistics Canada in early 2026.
6. Bell Canada (BCE): ~700 jobs
Industry: Telecommunications. Bell is one of Canada’s largest telecom and media companies, spanning wireless, internet, TV, and media assets. Reason: Ongoing multi-year cost-cutting strategy; BCE eliminated nearly 700 non-unionized roles in June 2026 alone, on top of smaller cuts earlier in the year (including 60 digital media jobs in February).
7. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada: 665 jobs
Industry: Federal government agency supporting the agriculture and agri-food sector. Reason: Federal workforce reduction plan announced in January 2026, eliminating approximately 665 positions.
8. Bank of Montreal (BMO): 670+ jobs
Industry: Banking. BMO is one of Canada’s Big Five banks, offering personal, commercial, and investment banking services. Reason: Cost discipline amid a slower Canadian economy; BMO reportedly eliminated more than 670 jobs in the first quarter of 2026, including its Air Miles loyalty division, which is being outsourced to Expedia.
9. Telus: ~700 jobs
Industry: Telecommunications. Telus is a national provider of wireless, internet, and TV services, along with health and agriculture tech divisions. Reason: Voluntary buyout program offered to approximately 700 employees in its Business Solutions unit in January 2026, part of a broader push to streamline operations.
10. KPMG: ~600 jobs
Industry: Professional services (audit, tax, and advisory). Reason: KPMG’s Canadian arm cut roughly 600 roles in its audit and advisory units in March 2026 as the firm worked to reduce redundancies amid softer demand for consulting services.
Headhunter insights: How Recruitment Experts Say to Rebound From a Layoff
11. The Ottawa Hospital: ~400 jobs
Industry: Healthcare. One of Canada’s largest academic health science centres. Reason: Budget pressures led to the planned elimination of around 400 positions in April 2026, with nursing staff most affected.
12. Conestoga College: ~400 jobs
Industry: Post-secondary education. Kitchener, Ontario-based polytechnic. Reason: Declining international student enrolment (following tighter federal visa rules) forced a complete layoff of nearly 400 full-time roles in March 2026.
13. Peel District School Board: 300+ jobs
Industry: Public education (K-12). Reason: Budget shortfalls led the board to issue layoff notices to more than 300 secondary school teachers in March 2026.
14. Toronto District School Board (TDSB): ~258 jobs
Industry: Public education (K-12), Canada’s largest school board. Reason: Restructuring cut approximately 218 administrative roles and 40 vice-principal positions in 2026 as the board looked to trim overhead.
15. York Region District School Board (YRDSB): ~250 jobs
Industry: Public education (K-12). Reason: Budget constraints led to layoff notices for nearly 250 workers in June 2026.
16. Arctic Wolf: ~250 jobs
Industry: Cybersecurity. Waterloo, Ontario-headquartered cybersecurity operations vendor. Reason: Restructuring cut around 250 jobs in May 2026 as the company adjusted its cost structure.
Read more: Which Jobs Are the Most Vulnerable to AI?
17. Canada Revenue Agency (CRA): 210 jobs
Industry: Federal government/tax administration. Reason: Workforce adjustment process eliminated 210 roles starting in March 2026, part of the broader federal downsizing trend.
18. Rogers Communications: up to ~10,000 employees offered buyouts (uptake unconfirmed)
Industry: Telecommunications and media. Rogers owns wireless, internet, TV, and media assets including Sportsnet and a majority stake in Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. Reason: Facing slowing telecom revenue growth, heavy debt from its 2023 Shaw acquisition, and plans to cut 2026 capital spending by roughly 30%, Rogers offered voluntary departure and retirement packages to about half of its 25,000-person workforce in April 2026. It’s a voluntary program with no confirmed reduction target, so it isn’t a confirmed layoff figure, but the scale makes it one of the most significant workforce actions of the year. Separately, Rogers confirmed the closure of 6 radio stations in July 2026, affecting as many as 230 jobs.
19. Imperial Oil: 130 jobs
Industry: Oil and gas. Calgary-based integrated energy producer, majority owned by ExxonMobil. Reason: Imperial eliminated 130 jobs in the first quarter of 2026 as part of ongoing efficiency efforts.
20. New Gold: 85 jobs
Industry: Mining. Toronto-based gold mining company. Reason: New Gold cut approximately 85 roles at its New Afton mine near Kamloops, B.C., in February 2026.
Global Layoffs With Confirmed Canadian Impact (Numbers Not Broken Out by Country)
These multinational companies made major 2026 cuts that are known to have affected Canadian staff or operations, but only disclosed global, not Canada-specific, totals:
- Microsoft: Eliminated 4,800 jobs in July 2026, with Xbox cutting a further ~3,200 roles into 2027; also offered buyouts to long-service employees and trimmed several teams (security, sales, gaming) throughout the year. Canadian offices, including its Xbox Canadian studios, were affected.
- Amazon: Slashing roughly 16,000 corporate roles in 2026 as part of an AI-driven restructuring, with cuts reported across robotics, Selling Partner Services, and other divisions; Canadian corporate staff have been affected.
- Google: Multiple rounds of cuts throughout 2026 across Cloud, Android, and other divisions, largely via buyouts; Canadian teams have been impacted.
- Meta: Eliminated roughly 1,000 Reality Labs jobs in January 2026 and reassigned/cut thousands more later in the year across sales, recruiting, and AI teams.
- Oracle: Restructuring tied to AI data centre investment has eliminated roughly 21,000 roles globally, with Canadian staff (including in Kitchener, Ont.) affected.
- Intel: Scaled back its data centre group and eliminated much of its automotive division staff, with cuts extending into Canadian operations.
- Disney: Cut several hundred roles across ESPN, Pixar, and National Geographic, including some Vancouver-based animation staff.
- Cisco: Cut close to 4,000 jobs globally in 2026, with reports of Canadian staff affected despite strong earnings.
- Salesforce: Cut roughly 4,000 customer support roles as part of an AI-driven restructuring during 2026.
- Uber: Cutting roughly 10% of its customer service workforce and 23% of its people division globally in 2026.
Sources: Samfiru Tumarkin LLP’s “Layoffs in Canada 2026” tracker, CTV News, CBC News, Global News, CP24, BNN Bloomberg, and company statements. Numbers are as of September 2026.
