After years of deep cuts, John Deere begins recalling workers

An announcement this month that John Deere is recalling nearly 50 additional workers is the latest step in a longer, uneven recovery period for the company.

In the most recent development, Deere confirmed it will bring back 49 employees across its Dubuque, Davenport, and Coffeyville facilities to support fabrication, assembly, and materials handling. This follows an earlier callback of 99 workers and brings the total number of recalled U.S. employees to more than 300 since the start of the year. 

But years of hardship has made its mark. The downturn began taking shape in 2024, when Deere responded to weakening farm income and reduced equipment demand. Over the course of that year, the company laid off more than 2,000 workers across multiple facilities. These cuts were not isolated. Earlier reporting detailed incremental layoffs, including announcements affecting hundreds of workers in Iowa as order volumes declined.

For example, Deere had moved forward with workforce reductions tied directly to softening agricultural equipment sale. As the year progressed, the layoffs became more structured and tied to broader operational changes.

Deere not only reduced headcount but also began reshaping its manufacturing footprint. Reports indicated the company planned to relocate certain Iowa jobs as part of a wider restructuring strategy, aiming to streamline production and reduce costs while maintaining competitiveness. This restructuring phase marked a shift from reactive layoffs to more deliberate long-term repositioning.

By late 2024 into early 2025, Deere was still announcing targeted layoffs, such as additional cuts affecting specific plants — as demand had not yet stabilized. These decisions reflected continued pressure in the agricultural sector, where high interest rates and lower commodity prices made farmers less likely to invest in new equipment.

However, conditions began to shift in 2025. Demand showed early signs of recovery, and Deere started reversing some of its earlier workforce reductions. The company brought back nearly 250 workers in Iowa as order volumes improved, signaling that production lines needed to ramp up again. This marked the first clear transition from contraction to cautious expansion.

At the same time, Deere paired these recalls with forward-looking investments. The company announced plans to expand excavator production in North Carolina and to open a new parts distribution center in Indiana.

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