Montreal to cut 1,000 jobs over 4 years to ‘optimize’ budget

Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada and executive committee president Claude Pinard announced the city will slash 1,000 jobs over four years. (Marty Rioux/CTV News)

The City of Montreal is cutting 1,000 jobs across all departments over the next four years to “optimize” its activities and resources budgets.

The city made the announcement on Wednesday, saying it wants to “refocus on priority services offered to citizens.”

It added that all municipal departments will have to review their budgets for recurring savings, stressing that a saving of $16 million was planned in the 2026 budget.

A hiring freeze was already put in place last fall for white-collar and professional positions, as well as appointments to management positions.

Currently vacant positions will be eliminated after review. When vacancies open up, the city wants to eliminate half of them, according to specific department needs.

“The decision to retain a position will be made after a rigorous and systematic evaluation,” the city said.

“What I hear from Montrealers is that they want a city that manages their taxes rigorously and focuses on what matters most. They want efficient services, clear priorities, and less red tape. That’s exactly what we’re doing,” said Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada.

Many positions will be consolidated under one entity, and management will also be reduced, the city said.