Iowa Layoffs — March 2016
Employers in Iowa filed 7 WARN Act notices in March 2016, impacting roughly 618 workers — representing a notable rise over February and down 33% versus March 2015. The average filing covered 88 workers, with 4 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Information & Technology | 1 | 316 |
| Retail | 1 | 162 |
| Manufacturing | 3 | 88 |
| Education | 1 | 47 |
| Agriculture | 1 | 5 |
The Information & Technology sector led the way in workforce reductions with 316 workers across 1 notice. In a parallel development, Retail reported 162 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Clinton | 1 | 316 |
| Polk | 5 | 231 |
| Delaware | 1 | 71 |
Clinton saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 51% of all affected workers with 316 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Clinton | 1 | 316 |
| West Des Moines | 1 | 162 |
| Edgewood | 1 | 71 |
| Des Moines | 1 | 47 |
| Johnston | 3 | 22 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 4 | 596 |
The high proportion of closures (96% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Iowa's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SC Data Center | Clinton | 316 | Closure | |
| Sears Holdings | West Des Moines | 162 | Closure | |
| Commercial Vehicle Group | Edgewood | 71 | Closure | |
| AIB College of Business | Des Moines | 47 | Closure | |
| Pioneer Hi-Bred International | Johnston | 9 | ||
| Pioneer Hi-Bred International | Johnston | 8 | ||
| Pioneer Hi-Bred International | Johnston | 5 |
The single largest action involved SC Data Center at its Clinton facility, reporting 316 affected workers. Sears Holdings followed with 162 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The data underscores a mixed picture for Iowa's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Information & Technology 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.