Iowa Layoffs — September 2020
Employers in Iowa reported 4 WARN Act notices in September 2020, displacing an estimated 344 workers — signaling a deceleration from August and up 45% versus September 2019. The average filing covered 86 workers, with 1 closure among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1 | 129 |
| Utilities | 1 | 128 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 58 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 29 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 129 workers across 1 notice. Notably, Utilities reported 128 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Lee | 1 | 129 |
| Linn | 1 | 128 |
| Polk | 1 | 58 |
| Johnson | 1 | 29 |
Lee felt the sharpest impact, accounting for 38% of all affected workers with 129 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Madison | 1 | 129 |
| Palo | 1 | 128 |
| Des Moines | 1 | 58 |
| Iowa City | 1 | 29 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 3 | 216 |
| Closure | 1 | 128 |
Closures accounted for 37% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siemes Gamesa | Fort Madison | 129 | Layoff | |
| Duane Arnold Energy Center | Palo | 128 | Closure | |
| Nationwide | Des Moines | 58 | Layoff | |
| Mercy Hospital | Iowa City | 29 | Layoff |
The most significant filing came from Siemes Gamesa at its Fort Madison facility, reporting 129 affected workers. Duane Arnold Energy Center followed with 128 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
The numbers illustrate 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.