Whirlpool will lay off 650 people at Amana facility

The Whirlpool Corporation announced Tuesday it plans to lay off 650 employees at its Amana manufacturing facility — about a third of its staff there — effective June 1.

“This is really about aligning to current market conditions driven by consumer demand, particularly as it relates to some of the appliances (refrigeration) made in Amana,” Chad Parks, external communications director for Whirlpool Corporations, told The Gazette in an email.

The Amana facility currently has slightly more than 2,000 employees, according to Parks. The facility, in Middle Amana, assembles refrigeration products under the Amana, JennAir, KitchenAid, Maytag and Whirlpool brands.

“We are committed to supporting affected employees through this transition by providing access to on-site HR support and a dedicated employee support line, an employee assistance program, and guidance on unemployment benefits through Iowa Workforce Development,” a statement from the company said.

The layoffs, posted Tuesday on the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act — or WARN — website, are the largest layoff announcement made in Iowa so far in 2025. The next-largest reduction — of 298 workers — was announced by window manufacturer JELD-WEN Inc., of Grinnell, in January.

Reactions from stakeholders and elected officials

Gov. Kim Reynolds “directed Iowa Workforce Development to deploy its rapid response team and the mobile workforce unit to support the affected workers in finding their next job," she said in a statement.

A spokesperson for Iowa Workforce Development said the effort was underway.

“IWD will schedule worker information meetings to provide impacted workers with resources, including available services on how to file for unemployment and to find their next job,” the spokesperson told The Gazette. “IWD will also use the Iowa WORKS Mobile Workforce Center to provide reemployment services as quickly as possible. We will announce when the vehicle and our rapid response will be in Amana.”

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers — the union that represents Amana staff — released a statement Tuesday expressing support for those affected by the layoffs and its intention to make sure Whirlpool respects union members’ rights during the process.

“This is a community that relies heavily on good IAM Union jobs that help sustain thousands of families in the Amana area … The IAM Union will continue to work to mitigate the impacts of this announcement and maintain the job security of all our members at Whirlpool.”

The union also expressed an intention to reach out to local stakeholders and elected officials to secure support for its union members.

Multiple Iowa elected officials also released statements in response to the announcement, including Iowa Senate Democratic Leader Janice Weiner of Iowa City.

“Iowans’ livelihoods are being threatened, and the changes the governor and Republican legislators made to our unemployment system hang Iowa workers out to dry,” Weiner said. “Alarm bells should be sounding in our communities.”

Iowa House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst, of Windsor Heights, said the Iowa Legislature should reverse a bill passed in 2022 that cut the amount of time Iowans can receive unemployment benefits in a single year from 26 weeks to 16. That legislation passed with only the support of Republicans, who hold the majorities in each chamber.

“It’s a tough day for the 650 Iowa workers who found out they are losing their jobs at Whirlpool. In addition to rising costs and negative economic growth, it’s the latest troubling sign that the Reynolds economy is failing Iowa workers,” Konfrst said in a statement.

Republican Rep. Judd Lawler, of Tiffin, also made a statement, expressing his sympathies for those affected.

“The company has been a central part of the Amana community for a long time. So many of our friends and neighbors have worked in Amana over the years,” Lawler said. “I’ve reached out to Iowa Workforce Development to stress how important it is to take every possible step to support those affected. I am committed to doing everything in my power as Representative to help these Iowans receive the assistance they need as swiftly and effectively as possible.”

Comments: (319) 398-8328; emily.andersen@thegazette.com