Iowa Layoffs — May 2011
Employers in Iowa filed 3 WARN Act notices in May 2011, impacting roughly 283 workers — representing a notable rise over April and up 50% versus May 2010. The average filing covered 94 workers, with 1 closure among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 2 | 280 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 3 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 280 workers across 2 notices. In a parallel development, Finance & Insurance reported 3 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Scott | 2 | 280 |
| Polk | 1 | 3 |
Scott absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 99% of all affected workers with 280 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Eldridge | 1 | 279 |
| Des Moines | 1 | 3 |
| Davenport | 1 | 1 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 1 | 279 |
| Layoff | 2 | 4 |
The high proportion of closures (99% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Iowa's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RR Donnelley | Eldridge | 279 | Closure | |
| Wells Fargo | Des Moines | 3 | Layoff | |
| Flextronics Americas LLS | Davenport | 1 | Layoff |
The single largest action involved RR Donnelley at its Eldridge facility, reporting 279 affected workers. Wells Fargo followed with 3 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The data underscores mounting pressure on the Iowa labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by Iowa. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires employers with 100+ employees to provide 60-day advance notice of mass layoffs and plant closings. Data is updated daily by WARN Firehose. View all Iowa WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.