Riverside plant closure to cost 300-plus jobs

Workers at JBS unit Swift Beef Co. will be offered opportunities at other facilities.

- BY CAROLINE PETROW-COHEN

THE MOVE comes amid a limited cattle supply. Above, in Greeley, Colo., in 2020.

(DAVID ZALUBOWSKI Associated Press)

The meat processing company JBS is closing a packing facility in Riverside and will lay off 374 employees, according to a notice from the California Employment Development Department.

The closure comes as a limited cattle supply has led to record-high beef prices this year.

The Riverside facility, operated by JBS subsidiary Swift Beef Co., prepares meat for sale in U.S. grocery stores but does not slaughter animals, JBS spokesperson Nikki Richardson said.

The affected employees will be given opportunities at other JBS plants, including relocation support, Richardson said. Employees who choose to not relocate will be given 60 days’ notice before their employment ends.