Iowa Layoffs — October 2019
Employers in Iowa submitted 5 WARN Act notices in October 2019, putting at risk an estimated 266 workers — up substantially from September and down 21% versus October 2018. The average filing covered 53 workers, with 3 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 3 | 203 |
| Agriculture | 1 | 49 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 14 |
The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 203 workers across 3 notices. Separately, Agriculture reported 49 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Scott | 1 | 113 |
| Story | 1 | 49 |
| Jones | 1 | 47 |
| Washington | 1 | 43 |
| Polk | 1 | 14 |
Scott absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 42% of all affected workers with 113 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Davenport | 1 | 113 |
| Ames | 1 | 49 |
| Anamosa | 1 | 47 |
| Washington | 1 | 43 |
| West Des Moines | 1 | 14 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 3 | 139 |
| Layoff | 1 | 14 |
The high proportion of closures (52% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Iowa's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Deere | Davenport | 113 | ||
| Fresh Thyme Farmers Market | Ames | 49 | Closure | |
| Bennett Machine and Fabricating | Anamosa | 47 | Closure | |
| Whitesell | Washington | 43 | Closure | |
| MetLife | West Des Moines | 14 | Layoff |
Topping the list was John Deere at its Davenport facility, reporting 113 affected workers. Fresh Thyme Farmers Market followed with 49 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
These figures highlight 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.