MOLINE, Ill. — More than 100 employees are being laid off from John Deere's Seeding and Cylinder operations in Moline.
Deere officials confirmed the layoffs to News 8 on Monday, July 29. According to a statement from the company, the layoffs will take in three phases. 43 production employees will be laid off effective Aug. 16, 55 will be laid off on Aug. 30, and another 36 will be laid off on Oct. 4, bringing the total number of laid-off employees from this announcement to 134.
In the last three months, John Deere has laid off more than 1,000 employees across the company. It most recently includes around 345 production employees at its Waterloo facilities and another 170 across Waterloo, Johnston and Dubuque. Deere officials said the company is dealing with reduced customer demand for its products and higher operating costs.
Below is Deere's statement on the latest layoffs:
As the largest global manufacturer of agricultural equipment, John Deere, like many others in the industry, faces significant economic challenges, including rising global operational and manufacturing costs, and reduced customer demand.
John Deere has informed employees at its Seeding and Cylinder operations in Moline, Illinois, there will be indefinite layoffs effective on:
- Aug. 16: 43 production employees
- Aug. 30: 55 production employees
- Oct 4: 36 production employees
These changes are being made due to reduced demand for the products produced at Seeding and Cylinder. As stated in our second quarter earnings call, industry sales are expected to decline 20% from 2023 to 2024.
Despite the current reduction in customer demand, John Deere is steadfast in its commitment to U.S.-based manufacturing. The company currently employs about 30,000 people in more than 60 U.S.-based facilities across 16 states.
A Deere spokesperson has previously said that "employees are eligible to be recalled to their home factory for a period equal to their length of service" and that laid-off employees receive automatic seniority for openings they are qualified for.
Company officials also said that laid-off employees receive supplemental unemployment pay for up to 26 weeks, depending on how long they've worked with the company. Deere says this covers about 95% of their weekly pay when combined with state unemployment benefits. Additional health care and transitional assistance are available for laid-off employees based on how long they worked for the company.