Unilever Closing Plant in California

Unilever is closing a plant in Southern California that makes personal care products under brands such as Dove. 61 jobs will be cut as the company shifts production to its plant in Jefferson City, Missouri.

Southern California can ill afford to lose the jobs, with statewide unemployment at almost 13% and some parts of Souther California approaching 15%.

Unilever has two headquarters, one in London and one in the Netherlands. The company owns many of the world’s consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products. Unilever employed 174,000 people in 2008.