The United States has approximately 3 million federal employees, which may seem like an overwhelming figure—until you consider the country’s population exceeds 340 million (excluding undocumented immigrants). As the only Western nation with a globally viable military capable of mounting a credible defense against geopolitical powers like Russia or China, the U.S. federal workforce—though large—can be, to some extent, justified.
Even so, it’s widely acknowledged that if China and Russia were to align militarily, the United States would be unlikely to win a war unaided. Nevertheless, it would be able to put up a substantial fight—unlike the combined forces of the European Union, Australia, and Canada, which maintain relatively small, often underfunded militaries and are better known for bureaucratic sprawl than defense capacity. For reference, Canada’s military personnel totals approximately 97,000.
This context raises a significant question: Why does Canada maintain such a disproportionately large federal workforce, especially when its responsibilities are considerably narrower than those of the United States?
Comparing Workforce Size Per Capita
Canada has a population of roughly 40 million people but employs close to 360,000 federal public servants. By contrast, the U.S.—with nearly nine times the population—has a federal workforce only eight times larger.
What’s more, many of these Canadian public servants are not military personnel. The Canadian Armed Forces do not significantly influence this count. Instead, the bulk of the public service consists of administrative and regulatory roles, many of which are unionized and increasingly remote. Meanwhile, the U.S. federal workforce includes massive defense and intelligence infrastructure. The same cannot be said for Canada.
Federal workers in both nations are often shielded from direct accountability. In major failures—such as 9/11 in the U.S. or systemic mismanagement in Canada—specific names are rarely mentioned. Blame tends to fall solely on elected leaders (e.g., the President or Prime Minister), despite the fact that they oversee hundreds of thousands of staff.
Are Canadian Services Overstaffed and Underperforming?
With digital services now widely adopted (e.g., online tax filing, automated benefit systems), the necessity of maintaining such a large federal workforce in Canada is debatable. Passport delays, immigration backlogs, and tax disputes are increasingly being managed—or mishandled—by software, not people.
Which begs the question: Why haven’t more of these roles been automated?
Job Cuts on the Horizon, but Not Enough?
A recent report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) forecasts that Canada’s federal public service could shrink by up to 57,000 jobs over the next four years. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne has requested departmental spending cuts of 7.5% in 2026, 10% in 2027, and 15% in 2028–29.
According to the report, the most significant staff reductions will likely come from:
- Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
- Employment and Social Development Canada
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
These agencies have already seen a decline in headcount in recent months.
The National Capital Region—including Ottawa and Gatineau—will likely be hardest hit, with nearly half the projected job losses concentrated there. However, Canadians nationwide are expected to feel the consequences: longer wait times, more administrative errors, and fewer personnel to correct them.
Time to Rethink Government Size and Function
Given that Canada does not police the world, does not uphold its full NATO responsibilities, and does not face the same level of global security threats as its allies, it may be time to reevaluate the size and structure of its federal public service.
Automation, accountability, and efficiency are long overdue in many departments. While the proposed cuts are a step in the right direction, some would argue they don’t go far enough—especially when compared to nations that shoulder significantly greater global responsibilities with proportionately smaller bureaucratic structures.
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