IBM Ottawa employees were stunned today to learn the scope of a layoff which will affect about 200 workers at the Riverside campus.

CTV Ottawa reporter John Hua has been talking to employees who say the mood inside the campus is "gloomy". Employees told Hua that  up to 20 per cent of the Ottawa staff have received layoff notices. Some have been employed with IBM/Cognos in the capital for more than 30 years.

IBM is one of Ottawa's largest private sector employers.

IBM is reportedly cutting thousands of employees from its global workforce. Notices went out to IBM employees from Vermont to North Carolina.

Ottawa's new high technology darling,  Shopify,  set up a temporary kiosk in the IBM parking lot looking for new hires.

Shopify says it plans to expand its Byward Market office by 250 employees this year.