Canva Layoffs 2026: 1,271 Jobs Hit, 22% of Staff

Canva layoffs 2026 are official: the Sydney-based design platform says 1,271 people, or 22% of the company, will be impacted by a major restructure. In a note to staff, CEO Melanie Perkins called it "without doubt the hardest moment in our thirteen-year history". Not all of those 1,271 people are losing their jobs, though. Here is what Canva has said, what the exit package covers and what is still unclear.

What are the Canva layoffs 2026?

Canva announced the restructure on 4 November 2026 (Australian time). According to Perkins' note, published on Canva's newsroom, the changes will mean "changes to their roles or being asked to relocate to centralised hubs" for some people, and "saying goodbye" to others. Canva has not published a split between job cuts, role changes and relocations, so the common claim that "1,200 people were fired" is a rounding of a bigger group: 1,271 people are affected in total.

Canva has teams in 37 countries. Sydney will become the primary home for more of its product teams, the note says.

Why is Canva laying off 22% of its staff?

Perkins wrote that this has been "our hardest year yet" and that Canva's growth "has slowed for the first time in a decade". She said small changes would not be enough and that Canva needs to "refound" itself around small, empowered teams. The note also says new technology is changing what people create and what they expect from products. It does not blame any single cause.

As per reports in TechCrunch and BBC, the move comes amid heavy AI costs and competition from general-purpose AI tools, and after backers reportedly marked down Canva's valuation earlier this year. These points come from news reports, not from Canva's note, and Day1 has not verified them independently.

What is changing inside Canva?

Canva's note lists three changes:

• One Product Org: Product, Growth and Platform teams are being merged to reduce handovers.
• Broader roles: narrower subspecialties are folded into broader roles, and management layers are simplified.
• More time together: closely linked teams will be co-located, and from January most hybrid staff are expected in the office around two to three days a week.

What is in the Canva layoffs severance package?

Canva says everyone leaving will get:

• At least six months of salary, including statutory entitlements, regardless of location
• Removal of the one-year vesting cliff for people who joined in the past year
• Twelve months of continued healthcare cover where Canva currently provides it
• Twelve months of employee assistance support, extended to family members
• Career coaching, interview preparation and one year of LinkedIn Premium
• The chance to keep their Canva MacBook
• A US$10,000 "Canva Collective Fund" grant for people who want to start something of their own, open to register until 14 December

Canva also said a company-wide all-hands is planned for 10 November.

Do the Canva layoffs 2026 affect India?

Canva has not said how many people in India are affected. Its note says timing and processes will vary by country because of local requirements, and it does not give a country-wise breakdown. For Indian users, nothing in the announcement says Canva's products or pricing will change. If Canva or the Indian government shares India-specific details, Day1 will update this article.

For more on how design and creative tools are evolving, see our reports on Adobe for Startups and Affle's deal to acquire Perion.

FAQ

How many people are affected by the Canva layoffs? Canva says 1,271 people, or 22% of the company, are impacted. This includes job cuts, role changes and relocations.

When were the Canva layoffs announced? Canva's CEO announced them on 4 November 2026, Australian time.

Why is Canva laying off employees? Canva's note cites slowing growth, "the first time in a decade", and a need to reorganise into smaller, more empowered teams.

What will laid-off Canva employees get? At least six months' salary, extended healthcare and wellbeing support, career help and the option to keep their MacBook, per Canva's note.

Are Canva layoffs happening in India? Canva has not published an India-specific number. Day1 will update this page if that changes.

Sources: Canva newsroom: "An important update on our team" (primary); reports by ABC News, BBC and TechCrunch. Valuation and AI-cost details are as per reports and not independently verified by Day1.