Iowa Layoffs — May 2018
Employers in Iowa submitted 5 WARN Act notices in May 2018, putting at risk an estimated 335 workers — down from April and up 107% versus May 2017. The average filing covered 67 workers, with 1 closure among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Education | 1 | 190 |
| Retail | 3 | 102 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 43 |
The Education sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 190 workers across 1 notice. Separately, Retail reported 102 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Johnson | 1 | 190 |
| Polk | 1 | 60 |
| Clinton | 1 | 43 |
| Scott | 2 | 42 |
Johnson was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 57% of all affected workers with 190 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Coralville | 1 | 190 |
| Des Moines | 1 | 60 |
| Clinton | 1 | 43 |
| Davenport | 2 | 42 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 1 | 60 |
| Layoff | 1 | 43 |
Closures accounted for 18% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Iowa Health Ventures | Coralville | 190 | ||
| Kmart | Des Moines | 60 | Closure | |
| Mercy Medical Center | Clinton | 43 | Layoff | |
| Sears | Davenport | 38 | ||
| Sears | Davenport | 4 |
Topping the list was University of Iowa Health Ventures at its Coralville facility, reporting 190 affected workers. Kmart followed with 60 workers.
Trend & Outlook
These figures highlight a mixed picture for Iowa's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Education 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.