Canva restructures workforce, affecting 1,271 employees globally

Canva, the global graphic design platform, is restructuring its global workforce, affecting 1,271 employees, or 22% of its staff, as it seeks to simplify operations and consolidate teams in centralised offices.

The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Melanie Perkins, announced the changes in an email to staff on Wednesday, describing the restructuring as the most difficult moment in the company’s 13-year history.

The exercise will involve job losses, changes to existing roles and the relocation of some employees to centralised hubs, although Perkins did not disclose the exact number of workers who would lose their jobs.

Employees to receive severance and relocation support

According to the announcement, employees leaving Canva will receive at least six months’ salary and retain healthcare coverage for another 12 months in countries where the benefit is available.

Affected workers will also be allowed to keep their company laptops and apply for grants of up to $10,000 (approximately A$14,000) to support the launch of their own businesses.

Perkins said the restructuring would involve reducing management layers and bringing more teams together physically.

• “For some people, this will mean changes to their roles or being asked to relocate to centralised hubs,” she said.
• “Sadly, it will also mean saying goodbye to teammates and friends who have helped build Canva into what it is today,” she added.

She added that the company recognised the difficulty of relocation decisions and would provide comprehensive support to affected employees.

Canva joins wave of technology sector job cuts

The restructuring adds Canva to a growing list of technology companies undertaking significant workforce reductions as the industry responds to changing market conditions and the growing influence of AI.

• Other companies that have announced major workforce reductions include software company Atlassian, which cut 1,600 jobs, as well as Block, the owner of Afterpay, and software firm WiseTech Global.
• The developments reflect broader concerns about the future of traditional software businesses as AI-powered tools become increasingly capable of performing tasks previously handled by specialised applications.
• Although established software companies have pushed back against predictions of a so-called “SaaS-pocalypse”, referring to the possibility that advanced AI could make specialised software less relevant, several have restructured their operations or accelerated the adoption of AI.

Unlike Atlassian, Block and WiseTech Global, however, Canva did not specifically mention artificial intelligence in its restructuring announcement.

Global tech firms accelerate workforce restructuring

Canva’s restructuring comes amid a broader wave of workforce reductions across the global technology industry, as companies reorganise their operations, reduce costs and redirect resources towards artificial intelligence (AI).

• Nairametrics earlier reported that Microsoft offered voluntary buyouts to 60,000 employees as the company sought to contain costs amid rising AI investments.
• In June 2026, Nairametrics reported that Oracle cut approximately 21,000 jobs globally over the preceding year as it restructured its operations around AI, with the company disclosing $1.8 billion in severance payments and restructuring charges.

Nairametrics also reported in July 2026 that the 10 largest technology layoff announcements globally had affected more than 76,000 workers, highlighting the scale of workforce adjustments across the industry.