Canva layoffs: 1,271 jobs affected, 22% of staff

What was announced. On November 4, Canva co-founder and CEO Melanie Perkins sent staff a note, which the company posted on its website. It says the changes will affect 1,271 people, or 22% of Canva. Some will change roles or be asked to relocate to hubs, and others will leave. The note does not say how many people fall into each group, as Bloomberg points out.

What changes inside the company. Product, Growth and Platform will merge into one Product Org. Narrow specialisms will be folded into broader roles, and extra layers of management will go. Sydney will become the primary home for more product teams. From January, most hybrid staff will be expected in the office about two to three days a week. Canva has teams in 37 countries, so the timing and the way conversations happen will vary with local rules.

Why. Perkins writes that this has been the company's hardest year and that growth slowed for the first time in a decade, as Canva said earlier this year. Small changes will not be enough, she says, and Canva must go back to small, empowered teams. She also writes that new technology is changing what people create, how they create it and what they expect from products. BBC and Bloomberg add context: the market fears AI will hurt companies like this, and building AI into products is costly. Canva's own note does not name AI as the reason for the cuts.

What leavers get. At least six months of salary in any country, including statutory entitlements. The one-year vesting cliff is removed for people who joined in the past year. They also get 12 months of healthcare coverage where Canva provides it, 12 months of its employee assistance program, career support and the right to keep their Canva MacBook. Canva also launches the Canva Collective Fund: US$10,000 grants for people who want to start something of their own. They can register interest until December 14.

Valuation and listing. Per BBC, two backers, Blackbird Ventures and Airtree, reportedly cut their valuation of Canva from A$60bn ($41.8bn) at the end of last year to about A$49bn. Bloomberg says Canva has been preparing for a potential listing and that the overhaul leaves the company in a delicate financial balance. The effect of the recent tumult on its value is not yet clear.

What we don't know. How many people will be laid off, moved or asked to relocate. Which countries and teams are hit hardest. Whether listing plans change. Canva's note says nothing on this.

Confirmed facts

• On November 4, 2026, Canva said changes will affect 1,271 people, or 22% of the company: some will change roles or move to hubs, and others will leave.^[1][2][3]
• Melanie Perkins called it the hardest moment in Canva's thirteen-year history and wrote that growth has slowed for the first time in a decade.^[1][2][3]
• Bloomberg says Perkins did not specify how many staff would lose their jobs.^[3]
• Product, Growth and Platform will be merged into one Product Org. Narrow subspecialties will be folded into broader roles and layers simplified.^[1]
• Sydney will become the primary home for more product teams. From January, most hybrid staff are expected in the office around two to three days a week.^[1][2][3]
• Canva has teams in 37 countries, and how conversations happen depends on local requirements.^[1][2]
• Everyone leaving gets at least six months of salary, including statutory entitlements, in any location. The one-year vesting cliff is removed for those who joined in the past year.^[1]
• Canva is launching the Canva Collective Fund: US$10,000 grants for departing staff, with registration open until December 14.^[1]
• A company all-hands is set for November 10.^[1]
• Per BBC, Blackbird Ventures and Airtree reportedly cut Canva's valuation from A$60bn ($41.8bn) at the end of last year to about A$49bn.^[2]
• Bloomberg says Canva has been preparing for a potential listing and the effect of recent tumult on its valuation is not yet clear. Its 2021 high was $40 billion, falling to roughly $26 billion a year later.^[3]
• Bloomberg ties the overhaul to AI pressure on software companies: investors have wiped billions from their value over fears that new technology will cannibalize their business.^[3]

Implications

• ConfirmedThe overhaul reaches beyond those leaving: many staff will change roles or move, so some teams may work differently in the coming months.
• Our readingCanva's listing plans depend on how the overhaul affects its valuation, and the company has not disclosed this yet.
• Our readingCanva's note announces no changes to the product or pricing for users.

Still unknown

• How many people will be laid off, how many moved to other roles and how many asked to relocate
• Which countries and teams are hit hardest
• How the overhaul affects Canva's valuation and listing plans
• Whether products and pricing change for users

Who it affects

Australia, Global. Canva staff and users, designers and marketers, anyone following tech companies and AI, readers in any country

Sources

1. Canva: An important update on our team November 4, 2026 · official
2. BBC: Canva announces major job cuts after 'our hardest year yet' November 4, 2026 · media
3. BusinessWorld Online (Bloomberg): Canva announces layoffs, job changes for about 22% of workforce November 4, 2026 · media