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Treasury Board not tracking impact of public service job cuts on equity groups

On March 6, 2026, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat said it does not collect data on impacts on employment equity groups, raising concerns among advocates.
The federal government committed to cutting about 40,000 jobs, and heads of departments are responsible for workforce decisions, with the Employment Equity Act requiring proportional representation.
Advocates warn that job cuts could disproportionately affect employment equity groups, with 9.7% of federal executives with disabilities as of March 2024, up from 4.6%.
Advocates demand mandatory equity impact assessments and publish demographic data, with Thompson saying he is "disturbed" the Treasury Board is not tracking impacts centrally.
Departments, the secretariat says, will "pay close attention" to representation as Barb Couperus, spokesperson, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, said department heads manage layoffs despite critics saying decentralised oversight signals low priority for equity.

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