Iowa Layoffs — January 2016
Employers in Iowa recorded 7 WARN Act notices in January 2016, covering approximately 464 workers — marking a sharp increase from December and down 47% versus January 2015. The average filing covered 66 workers, with 0 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 4 | 263 |
| Transportation | 2 | 155 |
| Agriculture | 1 | 46 |
The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 263 workers across 4 notices. At the same time, Transportation reported 155 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Polk | 4 | 207 |
| Lee | 2 | 199 |
| Johnson | 1 | 58 |
Polk was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 45% of all affected workers with 207 workers across 4 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Keokuk | 2 | 199 |
| Johnston | 3 | 110 |
| Des Moines | 1 | 97 |
| Iowa City | 1 | 58 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 2 | 143 |
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keokuk Steel Castings | Keokuk | 139 | ||
| XPO Logistics | Des Moines | 97 | Layoff | |
| Keokuk Steel Castings | Keokuk | 60 | ||
| Schenker | Iowa City | 58 | ||
| Pioneer Hi-Bred International | Johnston | 46 | Layoff | |
| Pioneer Hi-Bred International | Johnston | 34 | ||
| Pioneer Hi-Bred International | Johnston | 30 |
Leading the list was Keokuk Steel Castings at its Keokuk facility, reporting 139 affected workers. XPO Logistics followed with 97 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The filings reflect a mixed picture for Iowa's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. 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.