Iowa Layoffs — February 2019
Employers in Iowa reported 5 WARN Act notices in February 2019, displacing an estimated 575 workers — signaling an acceleration from January and down 40% versus February 2018. The average filing covered 115 workers, with 0 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Finance & Insurance | 2 | 378 |
| Education | 1 | 146 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 38 |
| Agriculture | 1 | 13 |
The Finance & Insurance sector topped the list of affected industries with 378 workers across 2 notices. Notably, Education reported 146 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Polk | 3 | 391 |
| Johnson | 1 | 146 |
| Grundy | 1 | 38 |
Polk absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 68% of all affected workers with 391 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | 1 | 191 |
| West Des Moines | 1 | 187 |
| Iowa City | 1 | 146 |
| Reinbeck | 1 | 38 |
| Johnston | 1 | 13 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 3 | 375 |
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationwide | Des Moines | 191 | Layoff | |
| Wells Fargo | West Des Moines | 187 | ||
| Durham School Services | Iowa City | 146 | Layoff | |
| Lomont Molding | Reinbeck | 38 | Layoff | |
| Pioneer Hi-Bred International | Johnston | 13 |
The most significant filing came from Nationwide at its Des Moines facility, reporting 191 affected workers. Wells Fargo followed with 187 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The numbers illustrate a mixed picture for Iowa's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Finance & Insurance 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.