The number of people applying for a job in the federal government plummeted last year as Ottawa works to slash the size of the public service.
Two years ago, there were more than a million applications for jobs in the federal public service.
But between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026, that number fell by nearly 30 percent, to less than 735,000.
The number of job ads the government posted was also down almost 40 percent, while the number of people who left the public service, including retirements and resignations, increased 12 percent.
There were also around 52 percent fewer promotions within the public service in 2025-26, compared to a year earlier….