John Deere is preparing for more mass layoffs in two states, with 610 employees set to lose their jobs by August 30.
The company made the announcement on Friday and said 280 employees at its East Moline, Illinois, plant and 230 employees at its Davenport, Iowa, plant would be affected, Fox Business reported. report Saturday.
In March, Breitbart News reported that about 150 workers at John Deere’s Des Moines plant in Ankeny, Iowa, were on the verge of being laid off in April and May.
According to a recent Fox report, “About 100 production employees at the company’s plant in Dubuque, Iowa, will also be affected.”
The move comes amid “rising operating costs and reduced market demand,” according to a statement from the company. Fox reports that employees will be offered Supplemental Unemployment Benefits (SUB), profit-sharing options and health insurance.
“Earlier this month, Deere announced it would move manufacturing of skid steer loaders and compact track loaders from its Dubuque facility to Mexico by the end of 2026,” the report said.
John Deere announced that it will relocate part of its tractor and cab assembly plant from Waterloo, Iowa, to Mexico in 2022.
The company statement reads in part:
The relocation is expected to be completed during fiscal year 2024. The number of employees affected will vary depending on business conditions, including production volumes, employee turnover over the next two years and new product program needs.
It is estimated that approximately 250 manufacturing employees may be affected, but expected turnover and a tight job market will mitigate the impact.
Among John Deere’s employees Accused The Guardian reported on June 7 that the company has accused them of greed as it continues to announce layoffs.
“There are rumors of more layoffs every day and uncertainty on all sides,” said one longtime East Moline employee. “The only reason Deere would do something like this is greed.”
Chris Laursen, 53, an early retired worker, said job loss is felt keenly in smaller communities because there aren’t many job options.
“Multinational companies like Deere find Mexico very attractive as a source of cheap labor, allowing them to import steel more cheaply from Mexico and sell it across the border into a large part of the U.S. market,” Laursen said.
“This is a sign of the times and perpetuates the loss of manufacturing jobs, good union jobs and more across America,” he added.
