Hundreds of public servants warned this week of job cuts, union says

By Canadian Press on December 5, 2025.

OTTAWA — A federal union says hundreds of workers have been warned they may lose their jobs as the government moves to shrink the size of the public service.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada says 219 people at Natural Resources Canada received notices this week saying their jobs might be cut.

Another 109 people at the Public Service Commission of Canada, 92 people at Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and 74 staffers at the Department of Finance received similar notices, the union says.

Ottawa is looking to cut the number of public service jobs by about 40,000 from a peak of 368,000 positions in 2023-24.

About 10,000 jobs were eliminated from the federal public service over the past year.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada warns that job losses at Natural Resources Canada could “severely” weaken Canada’s ability to manage its energy and natural resources responsibly.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2025.

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press