Over 80 John Deere Workers in Davenport Escape Layoffs

It's great to report to some good news for Iowa workers as the brutal pandemic continues.

It was not immediately announced why there was a change in plans, but it's good news for about 82 John Deere workers in Davenport. The company initially planned to cut those jobs in August, but said this week they will not.

They were going to be laid off, indefinitely, as of August 2, likely due to the pandemic, but they told Iowa Workforce Development those Davenport jobs will be saved, at least for now. 35 positions in Waterloo, however, are still on the chopping block, according to the Des Moines Register.

The only explanation for the positive news these 82 workers got was "each factory continuously balances the size of its workforce with the needs of the individual factory".

John Deere has already cut 200 Iowa jobs this year and announced a projected $1 billion loss for the year. The Davenport plant is focused on the manufacture of construction and forestry equipment. That's a segment of production, according to the Cedar Rapids Gazette, that was predicted to start taking a hit even before the pandemic struck. Luckily, these workers, for reasons no one has explained, will not face the loss they've been expecting since June 29.

You can't discount this hopeful news that was announced for Davenport's John Deere workers, but the confusion and uncertainty that has ensued out of the country's current situation remains a challenge.