More jobs are returning to the Waterloo, Iowa, area following John Deere’s announcement Friday morning that it is recalling 275 employees and hiring more than 400 people across its factories.
This move brings total company callbacks to approximately 1,000 since 2024. These recalls also ensure all of the employees who were previously laid off in Waterloo, the Quad Cities, Ottumwa and Dubuque have been invited back. Meanwhile, around 125 employees in the Des Moines area remain laid off.
John Deere is also hiring across several Midwestern factories, including:
- Harvester Works, in East Moline, Ill.
- Seeding and Cylinder in Moline, Ill.
- North American Parts Distribution Center in Milan, Ill.
- Davenport Works and Dubuque Works, both in Iowa
- Ottumwa Works in Ottumwa, Iowa
- Coffeyville Works in Coffeyville, Kan.
Brief John Deere Layoff and Recall History
This news comes after John Deere announced they were bringing back 375 employees across its Quad Cities factory operations in September 2026.
John Deere’s 2025 layoffs included 238 workers across three sites in East Moline, Ill., Moline, Ill., and Waterloo, Iowa. The news of the returning employees comes months after theUnited Auto Workers rejected John Deere’s proposed contract extension.
According to the company, the additional workforce will help meet future customer needs in various operating environments, including the future labor negotiations.
