Farm equipment giant John Deere has confirmed it is laying off 101 employees at its Waterloo Operations (last day on October 17) and 41 employees at the Des Moines Works (October 31) plant, according to an official statement emailed to Farm Journal.
It is a little over a month since the last round of layoffs, which affected over 200 employees across factories located in the Quad Cities region of western Illinois and eastern Iowa.
Deere says in the statement: “Production schedules at each John Deere factory vary to align with seasonal farming needs. When fewer orders come in, each factory adjusts accordingly.”
Despite the layoffs and an overall tough farm economy that some think will stretch well into 2026, Deere still intends on moving forward with its $20 billion investment strategy here in the U.S., according to the statement.
During John Deere’s earnings call in August, the company issued a warning that tariff costs could total $600 million for fiscal year 2025. The company’s share price dipped 6% immediately following that call. Deere’s net income for Q3 also sank 26%, and its total net sales decreased by 9% compared to Q3 in 2024.
At the beginning of August, John Deere addressed long-standing Right To Repair concerns with a new digital diagnosis and repair product for John Deere machines and Hagie STS high-clearance sprayers. That tool costs $195 per tractor for farmers and $5,995 per year for independent service technicians.
And in May, Deere acquired Minneapolis-based drone and sensor provider Sentera. Financial terms for that deal have not been disclosed.
John Deere also just dropped a new commercial featuring injured San Francisco 49ers quarterback and Iowa State Cyclone Brock Purdy cooking meals for farmers with tractor influencer @JustAJacksonThing. You can check that out below.
Additional Information
Deere shares the following bullet points regarding compensation benefits available to laid off employees:
- Affected employees are eligible to be recalled to their home factory for a period equal to their length of service. Those laid off are automatically placed in seniority order for openings they are qualified to perform at the factory.
- Weekly supplemental unemployment benefit (SUB pay), dependent on number of years of continuous employment.
- Transitional Assistance Benefit (TAB) pay, which may cover up to 50% of their average weekly earnings for up to 52 weeks.
- Profit sharing, calculated based on hours worked, average earnings and the company’s profit margin.
Healthcare benefits employees can receive during a layoff include:
- Employees can keep healthcare coverage for at least six months, or as long as they are eligible for SUB pay.
- Weekly Indemnity (WI): Employees who become disabled while on layoff can get WI benefits for the same duration as their SUB pay.
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Employees and their household members can access EAP services for the duration of their recall rights. EAP provides up to eight sessions of in-person or virtual therapy per year.
Other benefits laid-off employees may receive include:
- Life insurance
- Legal assistance
- Tuition reimbursement and job-placement assistance.
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