WATERLOO, Iowa (KWWL) — John Deere will lay off more than 300 workers in Waterloo starting in late September.
Mayor Hart of Waterloo expresses his disappointment over the latest round of layoffs.
According to an email sent to employees Wednesday morning, which read in part: “Today we are announcing that John Deere Waterloo Operations will be laying off 345 manufacturing employees, effective September 20, 2024. These layoffs are indefinite and affect manufacturing employees with the least seniority at Waterloo Operations.”
John Deere recently announced layoffs in Dubuque, Davenport and Moline, Illinois, as well as previous layoffs in Waterloo earlier this year. In addition, 7 employees will be laid off in Coffeyville, Kansas on August 9.
The company says it “strives to balance the size of its production workforce with market demand for its products.”
John Deere expects industry sales to decline 20% from 2023 to 2024. They attribute the layoffs to:rising global operating and production costs and declining customer demand.”
Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart released a statement to KWWL following the news.
Mayor Hart said:
“I didn’t know there would be more layoffs until I was contacted by the media, so I immediately reached out to Deere officials to confirm. I then reached out to One Cedar Valley in partnership with Iowa Works to inquire about the rapid recovery resources being offered to displaced employees. While John Deere is our largest employer and supports this community in so many ways, another round of layoffs is devastating to our community. Adding this to the existing layoffs plus other layoffs in Iowa and Illinois is devastating news. My heart goes out to the employees, families and businesses that have been most directly impacted.”