WARN Act mass layoff and plant closure notices in Soda Springs, Idaho, updated daily.
Workers affected by industry sector
| Company | City | Employees | Notice Date | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N.A. Degerstrom | Soda Springs | 113 | 2025-09-05 | |
| Mark III | Soda Springs | 100 | 2015-09-08 | |
| URS/Dry Valley Mining | Soda Springs | 115 | 2010-01-25 |
# Economic Analysis of Layoffs in Soda Springs, Idaho
Soda Springs, Idaho has experienced 328 job losses across three major WARN notices since 2010, representing a significant labor market disruption for a community of this size. The concentrated nature of these layoffs—affecting more than 100 workers in each incident—signals vulnerability to large-scale employer decisions rather than diffuse economic pressure. Over a 15-year window, the city has absorbed three separate mass layoff events, averaging approximately one major workforce reduction every five years. This episodic pattern differs markedly from gradual workforce contraction and instead reflects the cyclical vulnerabilities of resource extraction and manufacturing-dependent economies.
The scale becomes more pronounced when considering Soda Springs's limited economic base. The three employers filing WARN notices collectively shed 328 workers, suggesting these companies represent outsized portions of local employment. For context, this level of disruption would rank among the more significant layoff events in rural Idaho communities, where population bases of 3,000 to 5,000 residents depend heavily on a narrow range of major employers.
URS/Dry Valley Mining represents the largest single layoff incident in Soda Springs's recent history, filing one WARN notice affecting 115 workers. As a mining operation, this company reflects the extractive industries that have traditionally anchored Soda Springs's economy. The mining sector's exposure to commodity price cycles means workforce reductions often correlate with broader market conditions rather than company-specific performance issues. Mining employment tends to expand and contract dramatically based on ore prices, production efficiency improvements, and operational consolidation.
N.A. Degerstrom accounts for the second-largest layoff, with 113 workers affected across a single notice filing. Though less clearly defined by industry classification in available data, N.A. Degerstrom represents manufacturing or processing operations that likely serve regional markets. The near-identical headcount reduction to URS/Dry Valley Mining suggests comparable operational footprints and workforce structures within Soda Springs.
Mark III, filing the third notice, affected 100 workers and represents a different employment category entirely. This company's workforce size places it squarely within the region's mid-sized employer tier. The proximity of these three layoff events—all affecting between 100 and 115 workers—indicates Soda Springs's economy depends on a remarkably compact set of major employers, each controlling a disproportionate share of local jobs.
Mining and energy extraction dominates Soda Springs's documented WARN notice activity, with the mining sector accounting for 115 of 328 affected workers, representing 35 percent of total layoffs. This concentration reveals the fundamental economic structure of the city: dependence on natural resource extraction creates inherent boom-and-bust cycles that wage earners and municipal governments cannot easily mitigate.
The remaining 213 workers distributed across non-mining employers suggests manufacturing, processing, or ancillary services comprise the secondary economic layer. However, the absence of clear industry classification for N.A. Degerstrom and Mark III indicates these companies may serve mining operations or depend on mining-adjacent supply chains. If true, the actual mining-sector employment exposure would exceed 35 percent, potentially reaching 60 percent or higher when indirect employment is considered.
Structural forces driving these reductions operate at scales well beyond local control. Commodity price volatility, technological improvements reducing labor intensity in mining operations, consolidation among mid-sized manufacturers, and automation deployment all pressure employment levels independent of local business climate or workforce characteristics. Soda Springs residents cannot influence global ore markets or capital investment decisions made by distant corporate headquarters.
The three WARN notices span 2010, 2015, and 2025, with gaps of five years between major events. This pattern suggests cyclical industry downturns rather than permanent structural collapse. The 2010 notice likely reflected the post-2008 recession's extended labor market recovery, while the 2015 notice may have responded to commodity price declines that affected mining profitability. The 2025 notice represents the most recent disruption, potentially correlating with current market pressures on mining operations or manufacturing demand.
The spacing between events, rather than clustering, indicates these represent separate business cycle events rather than cascading failures from a single shock. Each five-year gap allowed some labor market recovery and workforce reattachment before the next disruption. However, this pattern also confirms the vulnerability: the city experiences major workforce disruption roughly once per half-decade, creating chronic labor market instability that discourages workforce development investments and business diversification.
The absence of WARN notices between 2015 and 2025 might appear encouraging, but the ten-year gap itself represents a concern. Extended periods without major filings can generate complacency about structural vulnerabilities, leaving communities unprepared when the next downturn arrives. Soda Springs may have believed itself past its cyclical challenges in 2020 or 2022, only to face the 2025 disruption with inadequate preparation.
Three hundred twenty-eight job losses in Soda Springs represents more than simple unemployment statistics. Each layoff triggers cascading economic effects: reduced consumer spending in local retail, declining tax revenues for municipal services, increased demand for social services and unemployment benefits, and diminished property values as workers leave the community. Manufacturing and mining job losses typically carry higher wage premiums than service-sector alternatives, meaning the 328 affected workers lose not just employment but above-average earnings.
Soda Springs lacks the occupational diversity and employer breadth to quickly absorb displaced workers. Unlike larger metropolitan areas where multiple sectors compete for talent, Soda Springs offers limited alternative employment at comparable wage levels. Workers displaced from mining or manufacturing face either accepting lower-wage service work or relocating entirely. This dynamic has likely contributed to population stagnation or decline in Soda Springs over recent decades, as younger workers leave rather than accept wage reductions.
The local tax base suffers immediate compression as payroll taxes decline and sales tax revenues contract. Municipal services—schools, infrastructure maintenance, emergency services—depend on stable employment bases that Soda Springs cannot maintain. Long-term residents face property value uncertainty, knowing their largest employers operate on volatile commodity cycles.
Soda Springs's layoff profile reflects broader vulnerabilities across rural Idaho. The state economy depends disproportionately on agriculture, mining, timber, and manufacturing—all sectors exposed to commodity price volatility and automation pressures. Unlike metropolitan areas (Boise, Spokane region) that have developed diversified service economies, rural Idaho communities compete for employment primarily in resource extraction and processing.
The concentration of Soda Springs's layoffs among three employers mirrors patterns across rural Idaho, where individual companies dominate local economies. Pocatello, Coeur d'Alene, and other regional centers face comparable employer concentration risks. However, these larger cities possess greater economic complexity and occupational diversity that provides some buffer against single-industry downturns.
Idaho as a whole has experienced significant WARN notice activity in recent years, though metropolitan areas dominate overall numbers. Rural communities like Soda Springs represent a disproportionate share of layoff intensity relative to population, suggesting structural challenges in maintaining competitive employment in small communities dependent on natural resource extraction.
The state's economy increasingly bifurcates between growing metropolitan centers and struggling rural communities. Soda Springs embodies this trend, facing recurring layoff cycles while lacking the economic diversification strategies that could reduce volatility.
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