Stock Markets February 5, 2026

Phillips 66 Plans 277 Job Cuts as Los Angeles Refinery Winds Down

Houston-based refiner files notices as idling and phased shutdown approach at 139,000-barrel-per-day facility

By Ajmal Hussain
Phillips 66 Plans 277 Job Cuts as Los Angeles Refinery Winds Down

Phillips 66 will cut 277 positions tied to the phased idling of its Los Angeles-area refinery, according to notices filed with California regulators. The company previously signaled a wind-down starting in late 2025, with workforce reductions to follow. The facility employed roughly 600 staff and engaged about 300 contractors, with more than half of the workforce represented by the United Steelworkers union.

Key Points

  • Phillips 66 filed notices with California regulators indicating 277 layoffs tied to idling at its Los Angeles-area refinery.
  • The company’s most recent notice reports 122 terminations in April; a prior notice covered 155 layoffs.
  • The Los Angeles facility employed about 600 workers and used around 300 contractors; more than half the employees were hourly and represented by the United Steelworkers union.

Phillips 66, the Houston-based refiner, has filed notices with California employment authorities indicating it will eliminate 277 jobs as operations at its Los Angeles-area refinery are scaled back ahead of closure.

The most recent filing, submitted on Monday, specifies that 122 workers at the Los Angeles refinery will be terminated in April. That notice supplements an earlier filing made last month that reported a separate layoff of 155 employees at the same facility.

The company confirmed the WARN notices relate to idling activities at the Los Angeles refinery. Phillips 66 has said the process of winding down the site will begin in late 2025, with workforce reductions slated to occur about two months after that start date.

At the time of the filings, the refinery workforce comprised approximately 600 employees and about 300 contractors. More than half of the refinery’s employees were hourly workers covered by representation from the United Steelworkers union.


Context and operational timeline

The notices to the state regulator outline the immediate terminations tied to the refinery idling and reflect the staggered approach the company has announced for shutting operations. The filings break the 277-job reduction into two separate notices, one for 122 positions and one for 155 positions, consistent with the company’s communicated schedule.

Local employment footprint

  • The refinery employed about 600 people and engaged roughly 300 contractors.
  • Hourly staff made up over half of the employee base and were represented by the United Steelworkers union.

The filings and company confirmation focus on the workforce impact tied directly to the idling and eventual closure process. They do not provide additional operational details beyond the planned wind-down timeline and the numbers of affected workers and contractors.

Risks

  • Job losses tied to the refinery idling and eventual closure create economic uncertainty for affected workers and contractors - impacts concentrated in the local labor market and sectors dependent on refining operations.
  • The phased wind-down schedule introduces timing uncertainty for when additional workforce reductions and operational changes will occur - relevant to regional energy supply chain and contractor engagements.
  • Union-represented hourly workforce could face negotiated or operational outcomes as the idling proceeds - implications for labor relations and local employment stability.

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