The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition that Canadian banks are slashing jobs to curb mounting expenses and taking higher loan loss provisions as they grapple with the threat of an economic slowdown. The Globe's Stefanie Marotta writes that some of the country's largest lenders reported mixed fourth-quarter earnings results, with RBC and CIBC posting higher profit Thursday that beat analyst expectations, while TD Bank reported lower net income that missed estimates. Each bank outlined plans to restructure their operations -- measures that include work force reductions and trimming their real estate footprints -- as they look to rein in rising costs ahead of a potential economic slowdown. TD posted $266-million in after-tax restructuring charges through measures including job cuts and real estate reductions. The lender expects to book savings of about $400-million pretax in 2024. The bank said it will reduce its work force by 3 per cent. In the fourth quarter ended Oct. 31, the bank shed about 0.5 per cent of its employee base, or more than 500 jobs. Chief financial officer Kelvin Tran said the restructuring charges also include plans to accelerate the bank's transition to new technology platforms.