Iowa Layoffs — September 2020
Employers in Iowa recorded 4 WARN Act notices in September 2020, covering approximately 344 workers — marking a decline from August and up 45% versus September 2019. The average filing covered 86 workers, with 1 closure among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1 | 129 |
| Utilities | 1 | 128 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 58 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 29 |
The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 129 workers across 1 notice. At the same time, Utilities reported 128 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Lee | 1 | 129 |
| Linn | 1 | 128 |
| Polk | 1 | 58 |
| Johnson | 1 | 29 |
Lee bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 38% of all affected workers with 129 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Madison | 1 | 129 |
| Palo | 1 | 128 |
| Des Moines | 1 | 58 |
| Iowa City | 1 | 29 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 3 | 216 |
| Closure | 1 | 128 |
Closures accounted for 37% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siemes Gamesa | Fort Madison | 129 | Layoff | |
| Duane Arnold Energy Center | Palo | 128 | Closure | |
| Nationwide | Des Moines | 58 | Layoff | |
| Mercy Hospital | Iowa City | 29 | Layoff |
Leading the list was Siemes Gamesa at its Fort Madison facility, reporting 129 affected workers. Duane Arnold Energy Center followed with 128 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
The filings reflect 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.