Royal Canadian Mint lays off 39 employees in Winnipeg.
"The markets have changed so demand for coin is down," said spokeswoman Christine Aquino.
She said the economic downturn, leading to an excess of coins in circulation both domestically and abroad, means the Mint is producing fewer coins, necessitating the layoffs.
Twenty-three of the Winnipeg jobs were unionized manufacturing positions. There were also losses in finance, research and development and engineering.
The number of domestic coins produced by the mint has fallen 75 per cent in the last three years, from 1.5 billion coins in 2011 to 361 million in 2014. Coin production is the major program at the Winnipeg facility.
http://ici.radio-canada.ca/regions/manitoba/2015/10/30/001-monnaie-royale-canadienne-canada-winnipeg-effectif-licenciement.shtml
La Monnaie royale canadienne licencie 39 employés
Selon la direction de la Monnaie royale canadienne, la société doit composer avec le phénomène du recyclage des pièces de monnaie, toujours plus populaire à travers le Canada.
« Il y a moins de demandes, donc nous avons moins de pièces à produire », résume Christine Aquino, directrice des communications à la Monnaie royale canadienne.