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Iowa job losses connected to downturn in farm economy

The down farm economy is taking a toll on employment in at least one Midwestern state.

Iowa Farm Bureau economics and research manager Christopher Pudenz says recent analysis shows the downturn could claim more than 11,000 jobs in the state.

“With a $1.5 billion loss to GDP in the state of Iowa.”

He tells Brownfield that’s based on the ripple effects of 23 ag business and manufacturing layoffs in 2024 including John Deere and Kinze Manufacturing.

“But this study also accounts for the component suppliers for those folks, so there’s Bridgestone-Firestone in Des Moines that makes farm tires, they laid some folks off this year.”

Pudenz says another large source of layoffs was in food processing with job losses at the Tyson plant in Perry and Smithfield Foods in Altoona.