Nearly 10,000 federal public servants have been told in the past week that their jobs may disappear as the federal government accelerates its multi‑year push to shrink the public service, according to three public-sector unions, who are raising alarms about the impact on front‑line services and specialized scientific roles.
Three major unions say thousands of their members have received “workforce adjustment” notices since mid‑January, signalling their positions are at risk as federal departments identify jobs to cut under Ottawa’s “comprehensive expenditure review.”
The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) reported that more than 5,000 members were notified last week that their roles may be affected. At Global Affairs Canada, 1,172 workers received notices, alongside 775 employees at Transport Canada and 598 people at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. Another 895 workers at Health Canada were told their jobs could be eliminated, with additional notices going to staff at Public Safety Canada, Canadian Heritage and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, among others, the PSAC said.
The Canadian Association of Professional Employees said about 2,550 of its members were recently flagged, including 534 employees at Employment and Social Development Canada and 103 workers at Agriculture and Agri‑Food Canada, the Canadian Press (CP) reported. The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) said more than 2,700 of its members also received notices over the past week, according to CP.
Workforce adjustment notices don’t automatically mean a worker will be laid off. They formally advise employees that their positions are subject to reduction and trigger a complex process that can include redeployment, bumping and, in some cases, severance. The federal government has not yet said how many of the flagged jobs will ultimately disappear.
Unions warn cuts will hit essential and science‑based services
Unions say the scale and concentration of the latest notices point to direct impacts on core public services that Canadians rely on daily, rather than administrative overhead alone.
According to PSAC, the hardest‑hit areas this week stretch from international affairs and transportation safety to health, environmental protection and fisheries. The union says notices went to 446 workers at Environment and Climate Change Canada and 261 employees at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, on top of the Health Canada cuts already reported.
“Public services aren’t just a budget line — they’re a lifeline for communities and families,” PSAC national president Sharon DeSousa said in a statement to CP. “While the government’s planned cuts may appear to save money, make no mistake, we all pay the price through slower services, longer waits and weaker programs.”
PIPSC, which represents federal scientists and other professionals, is warning that reductions in science‑heavy departments will undermine Canada’s ability to prevent and respond to emergencies and environmental threats. Its president, Sean O’Reilly, noted that government experts monitor oil spills, dangerous goods on railways, severe weather and species at risk. “Cutting this scientific expertise puts public safety and the environment at risk,” said Hayes, according to CP.
Within PSAC’s ranks, component unions say back‑office and highly technical work is on the line. The Union of National Employees has reported nearly 2,000 members receiving affected notices this week at Global Affairs, Innovation, Science and Economic Development, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. The Union of Health and Environment Workers says more than 1,600 of its members have been flagged at Health Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada and Fisheries and Oceans, the PSAC said in its statement.
Multi‑year plan to cut tens of thousands of positions
The notices flow from a government‑wide spending review announced in the latest federal budget. Ottawa has committed to cutting about $60 billion in program and administrative expenditures over five years, in part by reducing the size of the federal workforce.
The government said in the latest federal budget that it plans to eliminate roughly 40,000 public service jobs from a peak of 368,000 positions in 2023‑24. The plan also calls for the reduction of 1,000 executive roles over two years and a 20 per cent cut to spending on management and consulting services across three years.
In addition, nearly 68,000 public servants have received information about a one‑year early retirement offer that would allow eligible employees to leave without a pension penalty, which the government has indicated that it wants to use to increase retirements and limit job losses among younger workers, according to CP.
Unions say they are building tools to track the human‑resources impact. PSAC has launched an online workforce adjustment tracker, updated weekly, and has issued guidance documents and other resources to help members navigate options including alternate service, priority staffing and departure incentives.