Iowa Layoffs — January 2026
Employers in Iowa filed 14 WARN Act notices in January 2026, impacting roughly 458 workers — representing a notable rise over December and down 21% versus January 2025. The average filing covered 33 workers, with 10 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 9 | 237 |
| Healthcare | 3 | 141 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 47 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 33 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 237 workers across 9 notices. In a parallel development, Healthcare reported 141 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | 8 | 186 |
| Polk | 3 | 147 |
| Clinton | 1 | 51 |
| Wapello | 1 | 40 |
| Cerro Gordo | 1 | 34 |
Des Moines was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 41% of all affected workers with 186 workers across 8 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Burlington | 8 | 186 |
| Des Moines | 1 | 67 |
| Clinton | 1 | 51 |
| Grimes | 1 | 47 |
| Ottumwa | 1 | 40 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 10 | 273 |
| Layoff | 4 | 185 |
The high proportion of closures (60% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Iowa's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center | Des Moines | 67 | Layoff | |
| CNH Industrial America | Burlington | 52 | Closure | |
| Collis | Clinton | 51 | Layoff | |
| American Contract Systems | Grimes | 47 | Closure | |
| CNH Industrial America | Burlington | 42 | Closure | |
| MercyOne | Ottumwa | 40 | Closure | |
| MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center | Mason City | 34 | Layoff | |
| Wells Fargo | West Des Moines | 33 | Layoff | |
| CNH Industrial America | Burlington | 24 | Closure | |
| CNH Industrial America | Burlington | 21 | Closure | |
| CNH Industrial America | Burlington | 18 | Closure | |
| CNH Industrial America | Burlington | 16 | Closure | |
| CNH Industrial America | Burlington | 9 | Closure | |
| CNH Industrial America | Burlington | 4 | Closure |
The single largest action involved MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center at its Des Moines facility, reporting 67 affected workers. CNH Industrial America followed with 52 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The data underscores 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.