Montreal-based National Bank of Canada is eliminating “several hundred” jobs as part of a restructuring resulting from the economic slowdown.
In an internal memo to employees, CEO Louis Vachon also attributed the decision to “increasingly fierce competition.”
The Montreal-based bank did not give a specific figure for the number of job cuts, but said they would mainly affect its Quebec operations.
Vachon said the bank (TSX:NA) will try to minimize the impact on its 17,298 employees through various steps, including retirements and the elimination of vacant positions.
It expects to record an $85-million charge ($64 million after taxes) in the fourth quarter. The restructuring is expected to generate $35 million in pre-tax savings, mainly in 2016.
National, Canada’s sixth largest bank, has reported that profits grew three per cent to $453 million in the third quarter on $1.51 billion of revenues.