Thousands of federal employees have been notified that their jobs may be at risk following the government’s commitment to reducing the public service workforce, as confirmed by CBC News. While not all recipients of the “workforce adjustment notices” (WFAs) will be laid off, most can expect significant changes to their roles.
The downsizing initiative follows a comprehensive spending review in 2025 by the Liberal government, resulting in plans to slash 16,000 full-time equivalent positions over three years. This reduction aims to decrease the federal workforce to 333,000 by 2029, marking a decline of 40,000 positions from its peak in 2024.
This restructuring has sparked concerns in Ottawa and Gatineau, where nearly half of the core federal workforce is situated, impacting many local employees. The government has not publicly disclosed the specific departments being targeted or the timeline for informing affected workers.
CBC News is actively verifying information with individual departments and public service unions to provide updates. Notable figures include the Public Service Alliance of Canada reporting 1,371 affected workers at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and 587 job cuts. Similarly, the Public Health Agency of Canada has stated that no employees were impacted by workforce adjustments due to a separate transition process post-pandemic.
Various departments, such as the Department of Justice and Global Affairs Canada, have also issued notices affecting hundreds of employees. These ongoing developments underscore the significant changes underway within the federal public service, prompting concerns and uncertainties among employees across different sectors.