Hudson's Bay is laying off another 250 workers, the second round of cutbacks this year, the company said Tuesday, bringing the total number of employees laid off this year to about 500.

The Canadian retail arm of Hudson's Bay Co. said the layoffs are in corporate roles. None of the 2023 job losses have affected retail workers at Hudson's Bay's 84 department stores across Canada.

"As the retail sector continues to face headwinds, we are taking additional steps to flatten the organization and streamline operations," Hudson's Bay spokeswoman Tiffany Bourre said in a statement.

Economic pressures in the retail industry have continued longer than expected, making the second round of job losses this year necessary, she said.

"In January, we worked hard to minimize the impacts to our associates with the lens that macro pressures would ease," Bourre said. "However, they have persisted longer than we had hoped, which has made these changes necessary."

The company is committed to fairness and respect as it supports employees impacted by the layoff, she added.

In late January, Hudson's Bay said it was laying off about 250 workers.

At the time, the retailer said the changes were needed as the retail sector navigated "significant external pressures."

In January 2021, Hudson's Bay permanently laid off about 600 workers in Canada due to extended lockdowns that shuttered many of the retailer’s stores across the country for several months. Some had been on had been on a temporary layoff since April 2020.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 9, 2023.