Exxon to Cut 14,000 Jobs as Pandemic Hits Oil Demand

By Jennifer Hiller
Thursday, October 29, 2020

ExxonMobil Corp said on Thursday it could cut its global workforce by about 15%, including deep white-collar staff reductions in the United States, as the COVID-19 pandemic batters energy demand and prices.

Exxon and other oil producers have been slashing costs due to a collapse in oil demand and ill-timed bets on new projects. The top U.S. oil company earlier outlined more than $10 billion in budget cuts this year.

"The impact of COVID-19 on the demand for ExxonMobil's products has increased the urgency of the ongoing efficiency work," the company said in a statement.

An estimated 14,000 employees globally, or 15%, could lose jobs, including contractors, spokesman Casey Norton said. The figure will include loses from restructurings, retirements and performance-based exits. Exxon had about 88,300 workers, including 13,300 contractors, at the end of last year.

The company is not targeting a fixed number of jobs but does expect the result of its ongoing business review to eliminate about 15% of its current staffing.

Exxon, which has struggled in recent years to regain footing after misplaced bets on shale gas and Russia exploration, lost nearly $1.7 billion in the first six months of the year. It is expected to report a record-setting third straight quarterly loss on Friday, and its third-quarter loss could reach $1.19 billion, according to Refinitiv IBES.

Exxon said the 1,900 U.S. job cuts will come mainly from its Houston-area campus, the headquarters for its U.S. oil and gas businesses.

Earlier this month, Exxon said it would cut 1,600 jobs in Europe. It has announced cuts in Australia.

Exxon shares were trading 4% higher at $32.85 on Thursday.

Prior to the pandemic, Chief Executive Darren Woods pursued an ambitious spending plan to boost oil output in the belief a growing global middle class would demand more of its products.

Royal Dutch Shell Plc and BP Plc also have outlined up to 15% workforce cuts. Chevron Corp’s planned cuts of 10%-15% would imply a reduction of between 4,500 and 6,750 jobs. It will also cut roughly another 570 positions as part of its acquisition of Noble Energy.


(Reporting by Jennifer Hiller in Houston and Arathy S Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur and Marguerita Choy)

Categories: Industry News Activity Oil North America Jobs USA

Related Stories

Cairn India Might Invest in US Oil Servicing Firms to Increase Production

Shell Predicts 60% Rise in LNG Demand by 2040 with Asia Leading the Way

Tokyo Gas Enters LNG Market in Philippines

Malaysia's Petronas Plans Job Cuts

McDermott Concludes Work at PTTEP’s Kikeh Gas Field Off Malaysia

Santos Hires Weststar-GAP for Timor-Leste Offshore Helicopter Services

Shell Shuts Down Oil Processing Unit in Singapore Due to Suspected Leak

AI & Offshore Energy: The Higher the Stakes, the More Value AI Creates

OPEC+ Passes on Oil Output Increase, Weighs the "Trump Effect"

Sembcorp Signs 10-Year LNG Supply Contract with Chevron

Current News

CNOOC Makes Major Oil and Gas Discovery in South China Sea

Valeura’s Assets in Gulf of Thailand Remain Operational After Earthquake

Op-Ed: Kazakhstan’s National O&G Firm Positioning Itself as Global Energy Player

Woodside to Shed Some Trinidad and Tobago Assets for $206M

CNOOC Sees 11% Profit Growth in 2024 Driven by Record Oil Production

‘Ultra-Mega’ Offshore Deal for L&T at QatarEnergy LNG’s North Field Gas Scheme

Keel Laying for Wind Flyer Trimaran Crew Boat

MODEC Gets Shell’s Gato do Mato FPSO Ops and Maintenance Job

EnerMech Names APAC Regional Chief

CIP Reaches Financial Close for Offshore Wind Farm in Taiwan

Subscribe for AOG Digital E‑News

AOG Digital E-News is the subsea industry's largest circulation and most authoritative ENews Service, delivered to your Email three times per week

https://accounts.newwavemedia.com