Iowa Layoffs — December 2019
Employers in Iowa filed 5 WARN Act notices in December 2019, impacting roughly 248 workers — representing a pullback from November and up 81% versus December 2018. The average filing covered 50 workers, with 3 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 2 | 120 |
| Professional Services | 2 | 92 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 36 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 120 workers across 2 notices. In a parallel development, Professional Services reported 92 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | 1 | 63 |
| Polk | 1 | 60 |
| Scott | 1 | 57 |
| Linn | 1 | 36 |
| Palo Alto | 1 | 32 |
Des Moines bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 25% of all affected workers with 63 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Burlington | 1 | 63 |
| Des Moines | 1 | 60 |
| Davenport | 1 | 57 |
| Cedar Rapids | 1 | 36 |
| Emmetsburg | 1 | 32 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 3 | 155 |
| Layoff | 1 | 36 |
The high proportion of closures (62% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Iowa's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker's Pride | Burlington | 63 | Closure | |
| All American Architectural Arts | Des Moines | 60 | Closure | |
| John Deere | Davenport | 57 | ||
| TCS e-Serve International | Cedar Rapids | 36 | Layoff | |
| All American Architectural Arts | Emmetsburg | 32 | Closure |
The single largest action involved Baker's Pride at its Burlington facility, reporting 63 affected workers. All American Architectural Arts followed with 60 workers.
Trend & Outlook
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.