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For the first time in a decade, Canva has seen a slowdown in growth, and its response involves 1,271 people, or 22% of its workforce, through measures including layoffs, role adjustments, or relocation. Bloomberg reported that AI was not cited as the reason; the restructuring is intended to enable Canva to build AI products rather than use automation to replace the work of departing employees; costs have constrained this plan, and Canva has delayed several AI product launches because providing these services to a user base composed mainly of non-paying users is too expensive. According to The Guardian, Canva announced a restructuring that will cut or relocate 1,271 positions, 22% of its global workforce, involving employees who helped build the design platform; CEO Melanie Perkins said in an email to staff that this is the hardest moment in the company's thirteen-year history, and the restructuring focuses on reducing layers and bringing more teams together to work in person. Departing employees will receive at least six months' salary, up to 12 months of health insurance, and can keep their laptops, and may also apply for a $10,000 startup grant.
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2026 Tech Industry Layoff Timeline: AI and Automation Drive Wave of LayoffsDevelopments
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Canva's growth slows for the first time and it adjusts, affecting 1,271 people
Source:The Guardian Technology
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Nov 4
Computerworld
2026 Tech Industry Layoff Timeline: AI and Automation Drive Wave of Layoffs
According to Layoffs.fyi, 345 companies have laid off 139,004 tech employees so far in 2026, higher than the 122,606 for all of 2025. Canva announced on November 3 that it would cut 22% of its workforce (1,271 people) and merge its product, growth, and platform teams to streamline decision-making layers. Data from Challenger, Gray & Christmas shows that the tech industry laid off 38,242 people in May, of which 40% were attributed to AI, compared with only 7% in January.
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The Guardian Technology
Canva restructuring to cut or relocate over 1,200 roles, 22% of global workforce
Canva has announced a restructuring that will cut or relocate 1,271 roles, 22% of its global workforce, affecting employees involved in building the design platform. CEO Melanie Perkins said in an email to staff that this is the hardest moment in the company's thirteen-year history, and that the restructuring focuses on reducing layers and bringing more teams together to work in person. Departing employees will receive at least six months' pay, up to 12 months of health insurance, and can keep their laptops; they can also apply for a $10,000 startup grant. The report noted that Atlassian, Block and WiseTech had previously restructured as well, but Canva did not mention AI in its announcement.
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Rohan Paul
Canva's growth slows for the first time in a decade; layoffs and role adjustments affect 1,271 people
Bloomberg reports that Canva has seen its first growth slowdown in a decade, and its response involves 1,271 people, or 22% of employees, through layoffs, role adjustments, or relocation. The report says AI was not cited as a cause; the restructuring is intended to enable Canva to build AI products rather than use automation to replace the work of departing employees. Cost has constrained this plan, and Canva has delayed several AI product launches because providing these services to a user base composed mainly of non-paying users is too expensive.
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