Shell announced plans to cut jobs before the election

Some Republican lawmakers have criticized President Joe Biden’s environmental policies as job killers that threaten the livelihoods of energy workers in oil fields.  

But a recent Facebook post blames Biden for layoffs that were announced before he even won the presidential election. 

"SHELL OIL laying off 9000 workers," reads the Feb. 8 post. "Thanks Biden."

This post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)

Curtis Smith, a spokesperson for Shell, told us this isn’t accurate. 

In September, Smith said, Shell announced up to 9,000 positions would be eliminated "as part of a broader effort to reduce costs, simplify the company’s structure and accelerate investments in lower-carbon energy products."

News reports at the time echo this, and they don’t mention Biden.

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On Sept. 21, Reuters reported that the company wanted to cut up to 40% off the cost of producing oil and gas as it tries to focus more on renewable energy and power markets. The move followed similar steps taken by its European rivals, BP and ENI, which also plan to reduce their focus on oil and gas and build new low-carbon businesses, according to Reuters.

Shell said in April that it would become a net-zero emissions company by 2050. 

The job cuts will range from 7,000 to 9,000 workers by the end of 2022, according to Business Insider. Shell’s CEO has said there are "too many layers in the company" and that it is "looking to remove that complexity, and cost."

We rate this Facebook post False.