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

The Canadian flag flies on the Peace Tower of Parliament Hill as pedestrians make their way along Sparks Street Mall in Ottawa on Nov. 9, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

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

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

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

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

He said the department also underwent a “thorough examination of its organizational structures” and identified opportunities for cost savings.

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

As of March 31, there were 357,965 people working for the federal government, 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 — have also been laid off recently.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has vowed to cap, not cut, the federal public service, but has not said what that cap would be.

He has also promised to launch a “comprehensive” review of government spending with the aim of increasing its productivity.

McLeod said the justice department will keep taking “proactive measures,” like staffing restrictions, careful prioritization of work and streamlining of functions across the department “to minimize further impacts on staff as much as possible.”

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press