Iowa Layoffs — September 2019
Employers in Iowa filed 4 WARN Act notices in September 2019, impacting roughly 238 workers — representing a notable rise over August and down 16% versus September 2018. The average filing covered 60 workers, with 1 closure among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Mining & Energy | 1 | 90 |
| Education | 1 | 80 |
| Retail | 1 | 48 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 20 |
The Mining & Energy sector led the way in workforce reductions with 90 workers across 1 notice. In a parallel development, Education reported 80 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Clayton | 1 | 90 |
| Johnson | 1 | 80 |
| Cerro Gordo | 1 | 48 |
| Polk | 1 | 20 |
Clayton bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 38% of all affected workers with 90 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Clayton | 1 | 90 |
| Iowa City | 1 | 80 |
| Mason City | 1 | 48 |
| Des Moines | 1 | 20 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 2 | 170 |
| Closure | 1 | 48 |
Closures accounted for 20% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pattison Sand | Clayton | 90 | Layoff | |
| Act | Iowa City | 80 | Layoff | |
| Best Buy | Mason City | 48 | Closure | |
| Nestle | Des Moines | 20 |
The single largest action involved Pattison Sand at its Clayton facility, reporting 90 affected workers. Act followed with 80 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 Mining & Energy 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.