Here is our review of the hirings and layoffs that made headlines in Canada in August 2023.
Hiring
The Canadian government has invested more than $160 million in nine solar energy projects in Alberta, creating hundreds of jobs. These projects will generate clean energy and reduce emissions equivalent to those of 47,000 gasoline-powered cars per year, contributing to the government’s goal of achieving a carbon-neutral electricity grid by 2035.
Duravit, a German company specializing in the manufacture of bathroom furniture, has announced the establishment of its first factory in America in Matane. In addition to creating 240 jobs, this eco-responsible plant will notably prevent the production of 2,000 tonnes of CO2 per year for deliveries thanks to the proximity of the Port of Matane.
Siltech Corporation has invested $100 million to build a new specialty silicones manufacturing facility in Fort Erie, Ontario, creating 51 new well-paying jobs. The facility will include new cutting-edge technology to increase production, meet growing demand and develop new international markets.
Also in Ontario, Breadsource Corporation invested $18.4 million in the construction of a new 105,000 square foot fully automated processing facility in Scarborough. This new facility will triple production, create 13 new jobs and upgrade the skills of 40 current workers.
The Aubainerie branch in Val-d’Or will double the size of its store, creating 15 new jobs. The banner wants to offer better quality products, thus reflecting a new orientation aimed at reaching a wider clientele, while respecting the family budget.
Dismissals
Telus will cut 6,000 jobs, including 2,000 at its subsidiary Telus International. The telecommunications company announced the major layoffs when it announced a profit of $196 million in the second quarter of 2023, down nearly 61% from a year ago. The restructuring will cost the company $475 million in 2023, but is expected to result in annual savings of more than $325 million.
It’s become a common refrain in recent years: job cuts in the media sector. By ending the print editions of three community newspapers in British Columbia, the Glacier Media group will announce layoffs in August, according to the Unifor union. Between 2008 and 2016, more than 14,000 jobs were lost from Canadian newsrooms, and 189 local newspapers disappeared between 2008 and 2018.
Other job cuts could also be announced in the coming weeks at Quebecor. The company had already cut 240 positions at the start of the year, but the CEO. of the company, Pierre Karl Péladeau, admitted at the beginning of August that this restructuring had not succeeded in offsetting the impacts of a sharply declining advertising market and the absence of foreign productions in the studios of Groupe TVA due to the strike of actors and screenwriters in Hollywood.
Five years after its founding in Montreal, Silofit, a start-up that transformed small office spaces into gyms, closed its doors. In a LinkedIn post, company founder Wilfred Valenta pointed out that the COVID-19 pandemic, changing consumer behavior and increased competition have made the situation financially unsustainable. The number of jobs lost was not specified.
Toronto-based Top Hat, which provides educational software used in more than 750 universities across North America, recently announced the cut of 42 positions, or about 7% of its total workforce of 561 people, as part of a workforce optimization initiative.