Canva restructures operations in Australia, cuts 22% of global workforce

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Canva cuts workforce, restructures

Highlights

Canva is cutting 22% of its global workforce, eliminating about 1,270 jobs, due to slowing growth and changes in technology.
Departing employees will receive at least six months’ salary, health support, reduced equity cliffs, plus access to a $10,000 grant fund for new ventures.
The restructure designates Sydney as Canva’s primary hub, requiring some staff relocations, reflecting broader tech sector adjustments amid moderating growth and evolving technologies.

Restructure plan and workforce support

As reported by ABC News, Canva says the restructure will affect 22% of its global workforce, or about 1,270 jobs, as the design software company responds to slowing growth and changes in technology. Chief executive Melanie Perkins calls the move the hardest moment in the company’s 13-year history and says smaller, more empowered teams are needed for the next phase of the business.

The company says it explored alternatives before deciding that incremental adjustments would not be enough. Perkins says advances in technology are changing how people create and use products, pushing Canva to return to core operating principles built around leaner teams.

Canva says departing employees will receive a severance package that includes at least six months’ salary, health and wellbeing support, and the removal of certain equity vesting cliffs. The company has also set up a fund offering $10,000 grants to workers leaving the business who want to start a company or pursue community projects.

Sydney hub shift and technology sector implications

The restructure also reshapes Canva’s Australian office network, with Sydney becoming the company’s primary hub. Some employees in other cities, including Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, are being asked to relocate as part of the transition.

The changes mark a significant shift for one of Australia’s biggest technology success stories, which has grown into a global design platform used by millions. The decision also highlights how established tech companies are reassessing staffing, structure and location strategy as growth moderates and new technology alters product development and workplace demands.

In our earlier article on how AI is raising the cost of standing still for companies, we explained that artificial intelligence is reshaping competitive standards and making “average” performance harder to sustain. We noted that businesses increasingly need to rethink strategy, investment priorities, workforce skills, and decision-making processes to stay relevant as automation and AI-driven productivity tools spread.

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