Iowa Layoffs — August 2017
Employers in Iowa filed 5 WARN Act notices in August 2017, impacting roughly 235 workers — representing a pullback from July and down 62% versus August 2016. The average filing covered 47 workers, with 2 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 2 | 104 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 80 |
| Transportation | 1 | 50 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 1 |
The Retail sector led the way in workforce reductions with 104 workers across 2 notices. In a parallel development, Manufacturing reported 80 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Webster | 2 | 104 |
| Woodbury | 1 | 80 |
| Linn | 1 | 50 |
| Polk | 1 | 1 |
Webster absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 44% of all affected workers with 104 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Dodge | 2 | 104 |
| Sioux City | 1 | 80 |
| Cedar Rapids | 1 | 50 |
| West Des Moines | 1 | 1 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 2 | 132 |
| Layoff | 1 | 50 |
The high proportion of closures (56% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Iowa's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westrock | Sioux City | 80 | Closure | |
| JCPenney | Fort Dodge | 52 | Closure | |
| Penney OpCo LLC DBA JCPenney | Fort Dodge | 52 | ||
| LeanCor Supply Chain Group | Cedar Rapids | 50 | Layoff | |
| Wells Fargo | West Des Moines | 1 |
The single largest action involved Westrock at its Sioux City facility, reporting 80 affected workers. JCPenney followed with 52 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The data underscores a easing in workforce disruptions across Iowa, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. The Retail 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.