How many Canva employees are affected?

Canva says the changes affect 1,271 people, or about 22% of the company. The Australian design-software company has more than 5,000 staff, with Indian outlet People Matters putting the figure at over 5,700 across 37 countries.

Many headlines say Canva "fired" 1,271 people, but that is not quite what the company announced. According to Perkins' note to staff, as reported by TechCrunch, The Next Web and Forbes Australia, the 22% includes people whose jobs are cut, people whose roles change and people asked to relocate. Canva has not said how many will actually lose their jobs.

Which teams and countries are affected? Is India hit?

The biggest change is that Canva's Product, Growth and Platform teams will be merged into one product organisation. Canva also plans to cut layers of management and fold some specialist roles into broader ones.

Sydney, where Canva is based, will become the main base for more product teams. Some staff will be asked to move there, and Canva says it will help them relocate. From January 2027, most hybrid staff are expected in the office two to three days a week.

Canva has staff in India, People Matters reports, but no outlet has reported how many Indian employees are affected. No country-by-country breakdown has been published. Canva says the timing of talks with each person depends on local employment rules.

Why is Canva cutting jobs?

Perkins told staff that Canva's growth has slowed for the first time in a decade. In August 2026, Canva cut its expected revenue growth for 2026 from 30% to 20%, according to the Australian Financial Review, as cited by TechCrunch and The Next Web.

Several reasons have been reported:

  • Rising AI costs. Canva blamed the high cost of running advanced AI tools, used mostly by people who do not pay, Forbes Australia reports.
  • More competition. Tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini can now make posters and slides, TechCrunch notes.
  • Too much complexity. Perkins said years of growth had left the company with too many handovers and too many layers of management.

Canva did not name AI as the direct cause of the job cuts. It linked them to slower growth and a need to reorganise.

What is in Canva's severance package?

According to People Matters, IBTimes and The Next Web, people leaving Canva get:

  • At least six months' salary, including any amount required by local law, wherever they are based.
  • Their company MacBook to keep.
  • 12 months of LinkedIn Premium, plus one-to-one career coaching, CV reviews and interview practice.
  • 12 months of health cover in countries where Canva already provides it.
  • One year of Canva Care, its staff support programme, which also covers family members.
  • Shares: the one-year waiting period before shares start to vest (the "vesting cliff") is removed for people who joined in the past year.
  • An optional alumni directory that Canva will share with investors, partners and other companies.
  • The Canva Collective Fund: departing staff can apply for US$10,000 grants to start a business or a community project. Canva takes no ownership stake. Registration closes on 14 December 2026, and grants are not guaranteed.

What did Melanie Perkins say?

In her note to staff, Perkins called the restructure "without doubt the hardest moment in our thirteen-year history", as reported by Forbes Australia and The Next Web. She also wrote that "small changes won't be enough", according to Forbes Australia and People Matters.

She apologised to affected staff and their families and said the decisions did not reflect the quality of their work, IBTimes reports.

How big is Canva, and has it cut jobs before?

  • Founded: 2013 in Sydney. Perkins is CEO and Cliff Obrecht is a co-founder.
  • Users and revenue: about 260 million monthly users and about US$3.5 billion revenue in 2025, The Next Web reports. Second-quarter 2026 revenue was US$921.9 million, up 25.2% but below Canva's internal target.
  • Valuation: investors Blackbird and Airtree cut their value for Canva from US$42 billion to US$34.9 billion in August 2026, the Financial Review reported. Fund manager T. Rowe Price's markdown implies about US$30.4 billion, Forbes Australia says.
  • IPO plans: Canva was widely expected to list on the stock market, possibly the US Nasdaq. One PitchBook analyst now suggests 2027 rather than 2026, The Next Web reports. Canva has not announced a date.
  • Earlier cuts: this is Canva's first large-scale job cut. It made smaller cuts before: 10 of its 12 technical writers in 2025 and 32 finance jobs in January 2026, according to Capital Brief.

What happens next?

Canva holds a company-wide meeting on 10 November 2026, and team meetings start on 11 November. Affected staff will meet senior leaders one by one, with timing set by local law.

For anyone affected, the usual first steps are to read the exit papers carefully, update a CV and LinkedIn profile, and ask HR about notice periods, health cover and share options. Rules differ by country, so this is general information, not legal advice.

Sources: TechCrunch, Forbes Australia, The Next Web, The Next Web on Canva's valuation, People Matters, IBTimes UK and Capital Brief, 4 November 2026.