Iowa Layoffs — December 2023
Employers in Iowa submitted 8 WARN Act notices in December 2023, putting at risk an estimated 220 workers — up substantially from November and down 10% versus December 2022. The average filing covered 28 workers, with 3 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 1 | 85 |
| Healthcare | 4 | 68 |
| Retail | 2 | 2 |
The Transportation sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 85 workers across 1 notice. Separately, Healthcare reported 68 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Webster | 1 | 85 |
| Washington | 1 | 65 |
| Des Moines | 3 | 57 |
| Lee | 1 | 11 |
| Marshall | 2 | 2 |
Webster felt the sharpest impact, accounting for 39% of all affected workers with 85 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Dodge | 1 | 85 |
| Washington | 1 | 65 |
| West Burlington | 3 | 57 |
| Fort Madison | 1 | 11 |
| Marshalltown | 2 | 2 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 3 | 151 |
| Layoff | 3 | 57 |
The high proportion of closures (69% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Iowa's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oberg Freight | Fort Dodge | 85 | Closure | |
| Jerome W. Vittetoe Pork | Washington | 65 | Closure | |
| Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center | West Burlington | 45 | Layoff | |
| Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center | Fort Madison | 11 | Layoff | |
| Southeast Iowa Reginoal Medical Center | West Burlington | 11 | ||
| Cygnus Home Services, LLC DBA Yelloh | Marshalltown | 1 | Closure | |
| Cygnus Home Service DBA Yelloh | Marshalltown | 1 | ||
| Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center | West Burlington | 1 | Layoff |
Topping the list was Oberg Freight at its Fort Dodge facility, reporting 85 affected workers. Jerome W. Vittetoe Pork followed with 65 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
These figures highlight a mixed picture for Iowa's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Transportation 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.