Deere & Company, the company behind John Deere branded tractors, announced plans to lay off a total of 238 workers in September from its foundry in Waterloo, Iowa; Moline, and East Moline Illinois. Deere has now laid off more than 2,000 employees since spring of last year.
The layoffs, announced in mass layoffs filed with the state, come after Deere’s latest quarterly earnings report on August 14 showed slow demand for farm equipment. Deere earnings in the third quarter of 2025 feel 9%, and net sales were $10.357 billion compared to $11.387 billion last year. Low prices for agricultural goods are negatively impacting demand for farming equipment.
The precise breakdown of which factories will see layoffs at the end of August and into September was given as follows:
- Harvester Works in east Moline, Illinois: 115 to be laid off, last day of work August 29
- Foundry in Waterloo, Iowa: 71 to be laid off, last day of work September 26
- Seeding and Cylinder in Moline, Illinois: 52 to be laid off, last day of work September 26
What people are saying
In a statement, the company referenced its difficult quarter and its commitment to investing in the U.S.:
“As stated on our most recent earnings call, the struggling ag economy continues to impact orders for John Deere equipment. This is a challenging time for many farmers, growers and producers, and directly impacts our business in the near term.
As the entire ag sector navigates these challenges, John Deere continues to provide customers the high-quality equipment they deserve while strengthening the foundations of U.S. manufacturing.
We remain committed to keeping our U.S. manufacturing footprint strong, viable and competitive. We are investing nearly $20 billion over the next decade to upgrade and enhance manufacturing facilities across the country. This is on top of recent U.S. investments to open new facilities and expand/modernize others.”
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