Employers in Iowa posted 26 WARN Act notices in May 2025, affecting an estimated 1,096 workers — reflecting a cooling compared to April and up 56% versus May 2024. The average filing covered 42 workers, with 6 closures among the notices.
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 6 | 289 |
| Other | 2 | 173 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 62 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 24 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 289 workers across 6 notices. On a related front, Other reported 173 workers.
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Winnebago | 4 | 316 |
| Story | 4 | 264 |
| Polk | 4 | 254 |
| Cerro Gordo | 4 | 186 |
| Floyd | 2 | 40 |
Winnebago bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 29% of all affected workers with 316 workers across 4 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Forest City | 2 | 256 |
| Des Moines | 2 | 206 |
| Mason City | 4 | 186 |
| Ames | 2 | 140 |
| Grimes | 2 | 124 |
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 12 | 738 |
| Closure | 6 | 310 |
Closures accounted for 28% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winnebago Industries | Forest City | 128 | Layoff | 2025-05-15 |
| Winnebago Industries | Forest City | 128 | Layoff | 2025-05-15 |
| Fidelity & Guaranty Life Business Services, Inc | Des Moines | 103 | Layoff | 2025-05-27 |
| Fidelity & Guaranty Life Business Services, Inc | Des Moines | 103 | Layoff | 2025-05-27 |
| Chevron U.S.A. Inc | Ames | 70 | Layoff | 2025-05-19 |
| Chevron U.S.A. Inc | Ames | 70 | Layoff | 2025-05-19 |
| American Contract Systems | Grimes | 62 | Closure | 2025-05-13 |
| American Contract Systems | Grimes | 62 | Closure | 2025-05-13 |
| Forte Openings Solutions | Mason City | 47 | Closure | 2025-05-01 |
| Forte Openings Solutions | Mason City | 47 | Closure | 2025-05-01 |
| Forte Openings Solutions | Mason City | 46 | Closure | 2025-05-01 |
| Forte Openings Solutions | Mason City | 46 | Closure | 2025-05-01 |
| Winnebago Industries | Lake Mills | 30 | Layoff | 2025-05-15 |
| Winnebago Industries | Lake Mills | 30 | Layoff | 2025-05-15 |
| Wells Fargo | West Des Moines | 24 | 2025-05-13 |
The largest notice was filed by Winnebago Industries at its Forest City facility, reporting 128 affected workers. Winnebago Industries followed with 128 workers.
The trends suggest 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.
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