OTTAWA — The number of people applying for a job in the federal government plummeted last year as Ottawa slashed the size of the public service.

Two years ago, there were more than a million applications for jobs in the federal public service.

But between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026, that number fell by nearly 30 per cent, to less than 735,000.

The number of job ads the government posted was also down almost 40 per cent, while the number of people who left the public service, including retirements and resignations, increased 12 per cent.

There were also around 52 per cent fewer promotions within the public service in 2025-26, compared to a year earlier.

In Budget 2025, the Liberal government committed to cutting the number of public service positions by about 40,000 people by April 2029.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 10, 2026.

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press