Iowa Layoffs — February 2020
Employers in Iowa filed 6 WARN Act notices in February 2020, impacting roughly 480 workers — representing a notable rise over January and down 17% versus February 2019. The average filing covered 80 workers, with 2 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 3 | 206 |
| Government | 1 | 203 |
| Information & Technology | 2 | 71 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 206 workers across 3 notices. In a parallel development, Government reported 203 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Dubuque | 2 | 308 |
| Pottawattamie | 1 | 70 |
| Montgomer | 1 | 56 |
| Webster | 1 | 45 |
| Linn | 1 | 1 |
Dubuque bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 64% of all affected workers with 308 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Dubuque | 2 | 308 |
| Council Bluffs | 1 | 70 |
| Red Oak | 1 | 56 |
| Fort Dodge | 1 | 45 |
| Cedar Rapids | 1 | 1 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 3 | 364 |
| Closure | 2 | 115 |
Closures accounted for 24% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary | Dubuque | 203 | Layoff | |
| John Deere Dubuque Works | Dubuque | 105 | Layoff | |
| Diamond Communications Solutions | Council Bluffs | 70 | Closure | |
| All American Hydraulics | Red Oak | 56 | Layoff | |
| Misty Harbor | Fort Dodge | 45 | Closure | |
| TCS e-Serve International | Cedar Rapids | 1 |
The single largest action involved Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary at its Dubuque facility, reporting 203 affected workers. John Deere Dubuque Works followed with 105 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
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.