Mass layoff: Tyson Foods announces shutdown of Iowa pork plant and layoffs of Over 1,200 employees.

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Tyson Foods Inc. has announced the closure of its pork plant in Perry, Iowa, scheduled for June 28, as detailed in a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice filed with the state of Iowa. This decision will impact over 1,276 jobs at the facility. In response to the plant's closure, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has pledged full support from the state for the affected Tyson employees, the Perry community, and Iowa pork producers.

Governor Reynolds emphasized the state's commitment to assisting impacted employees in finding new employment opportunities as swiftly as possible. She highlighted the availability of more than 60,000 job openings on IowaWorks.gov and mentioned that the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Workforce Development are actively engaged in providing support. These agencies offer one-to-one career counseling to help those seeking employment navigate their next steps.

The closure of the Perry plant is part of a broader trend of operational adjustments by Tyson Foods, which has seen the company closing several plants nationwide over the past year due to various strategic reasons, including adjusting to current customer demand and operational efficiencies. Despite the closure in Perry, Tyson Foods will continue to employ more than 9,000 individuals across other facilities in Iowa, maintaining its significant presence in the state's agricultural and food processing industry.