Iowa Layoffs — January 2026
Employers in Iowa posted 14 WARN Act notices in January 2026, affecting an estimated 458 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to December and down 21% versus January 2025. The average filing covered 33 workers, with 10 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | 3 | 141 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 33 |
The Healthcare sector saw the heaviest impact with 141 workers across 3 notices. On a related front, Finance & Insurance reported 33 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | 8 | 186 |
| Polk | 3 | 147 |
| Clinton | 1 | 51 |
| Wapello | 1 | 40 |
| Cerro Gordo | 1 | 34 |
Des Moines saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 41% of all affected workers with 186 workers across 8 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Burlington | 8 | 186 |
| Des Moines | 1 | 67 |
| Clinton | 1 | 51 |
| Grimes | 1 | 47 |
| Ottumwa | 1 | 40 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 10 | 273 |
| Layoff | 4 | 185 |
The high proportion of closures (60% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Iowa's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center | Des Moines | 67 | Layoff | |
| CNH Industrial America | Burlington | 52 | Closure | |
| Collis | Clinton | 51 | Layoff | |
| American Contract Systems | Grimes | 47 | Closure | |
| CNH Industrial America | Burlington | 42 | Closure | |
| MercyOne | Ottumwa | 40 | Closure | |
| MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center | Mason City | 34 | Layoff | |
| Wells Fargo | West Des Moines | 33 | Layoff | |
| CNH Industrial America | Burlington | 24 | Closure | |
| CNH Industrial America | Burlington | 21 | Closure | |
| CNH Industrial America | Burlington | 18 | Closure | |
| CNH Industrial America | Burlington | 16 | Closure | |
| CNH Industrial America | Burlington | 9 | Closure | |
| CNH Industrial America | Burlington | 4 | Closure |
The largest notice was filed by MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center at its Des Moines facility, reporting 67 affected workers. CNH Industrial America followed with 52 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The trends suggest a mixed picture for Iowa's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Healthcare 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.