Justice department cutting up to 264 jobs as it faces ‘budgetary pressures’

By Canadian Press on June 6, 2025.

OTTAWA — The federal department of justice is set to lay off up to 264 employees as it navigates what it calls “significant budgetary pressures.”

Ian McLeod, a spokesperson for the department, says in an email that the department is taking “difficult but necessary” steps to manage available resources, given ongoing budget pressures that “can no longer be sustained.”

He says 264 positions in the department “may no longer be required” and that the employees in those roles were notified this week.

McLeod says the department has implemented “several measures” aimed at addressing budgetary pressures over the past year, including staffing restrictions.

The number of federal public service jobs dropped by almost 10,000 in the last year, marking the first decrease since 2015.

As of March 31, 357,965 people were working for the Government of Canada, down from 367,772 in 2024.

Between 2024 and 2025, the justice department lost 29 workers, going from 5,637 to 5,608 employees.

Hundreds of workers in other federal organizations — like the Canada Revenue Agency, Employment and Social Development Canada and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — also have been laid off recently.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has vowed to cap, not cut, the federal public service. He also has promised to launch a “comprehensive” review of government spending with the aim of increasing its productivity.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2026.

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press