Iowa Layoffs — October 2017
Employers in Iowa posted 3 WARN Act notices in October 2017, affecting an estimated 645 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to September and up 14% versus October 2016. The average filing covered 215 workers, with 1 closure among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | 1 | 400 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 215 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 30 |
The Healthcare sector saw the heaviest impact with 400 workers across 1 notice. On a related front, Manufacturing reported 215 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Polk | 1 | 400 |
| Union | 1 | 215 |
| Johnson | 1 | 30 |
Polk absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 62% of all affected workers with 400 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | 1 | 400 |
| Creston | 1 | 215 |
| Iowa City | 1 | 30 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 2 | 430 |
| Closure | 1 | 215 |
Closures accounted for 33% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa | Des Moines | 400 | Layoff | |
| Ferrara Candy | Creston | 215 | Closure | |
| Sheraton - Iowa City | Iowa City | 30 | Layoff |
The largest notice was filed by AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa at its Des Moines facility, reporting 400 affected workers. Ferrara Candy followed with 215 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The trends suggest mounting pressure on the Iowa labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Healthcare 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.