Iowa Layoffs — December 2018
Employers in Iowa submitted 5 WARN Act notices in December 2018, putting at risk an estimated 137 workers — down from November and up 54% versus December 2017. The average filing covered 27 workers, with 1 closure among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | 1 | 72 |
| Retail | 2 | 47 |
| Manufacturing | 2 | 18 |
The Agriculture sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 72 workers across 1 notice. Separately, Retail reported 47 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Polk | 1 | 72 |
| Woodbury | 2 | 47 |
| Black Hawk | 2 | 18 |
Polk was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 53% of all affected workers with 72 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Johnston | 1 | 72 |
| Sioux City | 2 | 47 |
| Waterloo | 2 | 18 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 1 | 9 |
Closures accounted for 7% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pioneer Hi-Bred International | Johnston | 72 | ||
| Sears | Sioux City | 43 | ||
| Buffalo Weaver | Waterloo | 9 | Closure | |
| Buffalo Weaver | Waterloo | 9 | ||
| Sears | Sioux City | 4 |
Topping the list was Pioneer Hi-Bred International at its Johnston facility, reporting 72 affected workers. Sears followed with 43 workers.
Trend & Outlook
These figures highlight a mixed picture for Iowa's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Agriculture 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.