After 2023 saw widespread layoffs across several sectors such as retail, banking and technology, 2024 has kicked off on a similar note.
Just weeks into the new year, hundreds of staff have already been laid off at major Canadians retailers such as Indigo and Rona.
Global tech giants like eBay, Google, Twitch and Unity have also laid of thousands of workers worldwide this year. Although many of these companies have some employees based in Canada, it's unclear how many Canadian employees have been affected by these layoffs.
But as the economy slows, it's not just the tech giants that have been shrinking their workforces, as small startups in Canada have also done the same.
Here are some of the companies that have laid off Canadian workers in 2024:
Rona announced on Jan. 24 it would be cutting 300 jobs across Canada and closing two distribution centres in Quebec and Alberta.
More than half of the layoffs were of Quebec employees. The company said the job cuts were part of its plan to adjust its operating model and eliminate inefficiencies.
The cuts also came after Lowe's sold Rona and all Canadian Lowe's stores private equity firm Sycamore Partners in late 2022. Sycamore had already cut 500 jobs in Canada last summer, citing "new market realities," and all Lowe's stores in the country have either closed or converted to the Rona+ brand.
Indigo Books & Music told The Canadian Press on Jan. 11 it had laid off an unspecified number of staff as a part of its strategic plan to return to profitability.
"While it is a difficult decision to part ways with valued and talented employees, it is the right decision for our company and all those we serve," the company had said.
The company experienced a challenging year in 2023, including a major cyberattack that saw the departure of four of its 10 directors, several quarters of losses, as well as turmoil in its executive leadership. CEO Healther Reisman had retired last April and passed on the reins to Peter Ruis, only to return to the company in less than a month after Ruis abruptly resignation.
Mastermind Toys announced it would be cutting 232 permanent employees and 40 temporary employees after the retailer's acquisition by Unity Acquisitions Inc. closed.
Prior to the deal, the retailer had about 800 employees. Last November, Mastermind had filed for creditor protection, citing increased competition, disruptions from the COVID-19, and economic challenges.
In December, Unity announced it would be acquiring the retailer and closing 18 out of its 66 stores.
Wayfair announced on Jan. 19 that it would be cutting 13 per cent of its global workforce, and this includes 50 employees based in Ontario.
Wayfair CEO Niraj Shah said the job cuts, expected to deliver annual cost savings of more than $280 million, were necessary because the company "went overboard" in hiring during a strong economy period and now needs to "get efficient."
In early January, the website Betakit reported that Saskatoon-based startup 7shifts, which sells employee scheduling software for restaurants, laid off 68 employees representing 19 per cent of its workforce.
"Last week we made the incredibly difficult decision to reduce 7shifts’ workforce, saying goodbye to several talented people who have helped build 7shifts into what it is today," 7shifts CEO Jordan Boesch wrote on LinkedIn on Jan. 17.
Betakit reported that 7shifts cited "increasingly challenging market conditions" as a reason for the job cuts.
BenchSci, a Toronto-based AI and biomedical startup, laid off 70 employees making up 17 per cent of its workforce in early January, according to reporting from BetaKit.
On LinkedIn, the company said the job cuts were made due to "company-wide workforce changes."
"The decision is a result of shifts in the economic environment, operational efficiencies, and adaptation to technological advancements, specifically Generative AI," BenchSci said.
Microsoft laid off 1,900 employees at Activision Blizzard and Xbox on Jan. 25, representing an eight per cent reduction in staff at its gaming division. These layoffs come three months after the Xbox-maker finalized a deal to acquire Activision Blizzard for US$69 billion in October 2023.
It's unclear how many Canadian employees were affected. Although Activision Blizzard and Xbox both have several development studios based in Canada, a spokesperson for Xbox declined to confirm if the layoffs affected any of these studios.
However, the website MobileSyrup reported that employees at Beenox, the Quebec-based subsidiary of Activision that helped develop several games in the "Call of Duty" series, were affected by these layoffs. One Beenox employee also tweeted that "quite a few" Beenox employees lost their jobs.
Enbridge said on Jan. 30 it plans to cut 650 jobs, citing "increasingly challenging business conditions."
A spokesperson for the Calgary-based energy company, which employees around 12,000 people primarily across Canada and the U.S., said the layoffs were necessary due to higher interest rates and economic uncertainty. The company did not specify which business units or geographic regions would be affected by the job cuts.
With files from The Canadian Press
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