Imperial Oil Ltd. has announced it will lay off approximately 900 employees—about 20% of its workforce—by the end of 2027, with most of the cuts affecting Calgary. The company plans to consolidate operations, relocating many Calgary-based roles to its Strathcona Refinery in Edmonton by late 2028. Imperial, majority-owned by ExxonMobil, is also restructuring its Calgary office space, with plans to sell and lease back portions of its Quarry Park location.

This move comes as Alberta grapples with one of the highest unemployment rates in Canada, raising concerns about economic stability in the province. Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi criticized the provincial government, calling the layoffs a serious blow to local families and communities.

Imperial expects the restructuring to cost $330 million upfront but projects $150 million in annual savings by 2028. Despite the changes, it says its production and cost targets for Cold Lake and Kearl oil sands remain unchanged.

This announcement follows similar cuts by ConocoPhillips and coincides with falling oil prices, driven by rising global supply. These job losses highlight ongoing volatility in Canada’s energy sector and the broader challenges facing the Alberta job market.

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Ken MacGillivray’s original article, “Imperial Oil to cut workforce 20% by end of 2027” was published in Global News on September 29, 2025. Read the Full Global News story.