Irving Oil has announced a reduction of 6 per cent of their global workforce, totaling 250 people.

The job cuts will affect employees in Canada, the United States, Ireland and the UK.

In a press release, Irving Oil President Ian Whitcomb and Irving Oil Executive Vice-President Sarah Irving blamed the coronavirus pandemic for the downsizing:

The challenges that we face in our business and our industry are unlike any we have ever experienced. Like many other organizations, we hoped to avoid this outcome as we worked hard to keep our business secure through the extreme challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As reported by Reuters,

Irving operates Canada’s largest refinery in Saint John, New Brunswick, as well as a refinery in Cork, Ireland.

According to Irving's figures, the Saint John Refinery currently employs over 1,600 people.

Without access to western Canadian oil reserves, Irving Oil relies on Saudi Arabian imports for more than 40% of their supplies.