Australian graphic design platform Canva Group announced on Wednesday that it would cut 1,271 jobs, representing approximately 22% of its workforce, as part of a broader restructuring exercise following a slowdown in growth for the first time in a decade.
The Sydney-based company joins a growing number of technology firms reducing their workforce as rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) reshape the industry and businesses reassess their operational requirements.
Canva Co-founder and CEO Melanie Perkins said the restructuring would involve changes to the company’s organisational structure, team locations, and workforce requirements.
As part of the restructuring, Canva plans to merge its product, growth, and platform teams into a single product organisation. The move aims to reduce internal handovers, streamline collaboration, and give teams greater ownership of their responsibilities.
Additionally, the company will simplify its management structure and consolidate certain roles to strengthen accountability and accelerate decision-making.
Canva also plans to establish Sydney as the primary base for a larger share of its product teams. Consequently, some employees will need to relocate to the city. Starting January, most employees following a hybrid work arrangement will also be expected to work from the office two to three days a week.
Meanwhile, the company will provide $10,000 grants to employees leaving the organisation to support their future endeavours.
The workforce reduction marks a significant organisational shift for Canva as it adapts to changing market conditions, integrates AI-driven capabilities and restructures its operations to support its next phase of growth.
