THE WHAT?  Unilever has announced it will lay off 169 employees at two of its New York manufacturing plants in Amityville and Farmingdale, effective April 2024. This decision is part of the company’s restructuring in its beauty and personal care product manufacturing.

THE DETAILS The layoffs are a result of Unilever’s plan to end the production of beauty and personal care products at its Amityville facility and to close the Farmingdale plant’s warehouse. These changes are due to the limited expansion capacity at the Amityville site. Unilever has stated that affected employees can apply for jobs at other company locations and will be offered support through outplacement services and training programs.\

THE WHY? This restructuring move follows a new strategy by Unilever’s CEO, Hein Schumacher, focusing on the company’s most successful brands and streamlining operations. As part of this strategy, Unilever is concentrating on a smaller number of its most profitable brands and has also sold off Dollar Shave Club, retaining a minority stake. The changes are aimed at boosting efficiency and focusing on areas of proven success within the company’s portfolio.