New report shows warning signs for workers as jobs disappear thanks to Nunn and Miller-Meeks

Whirlpool layoffs highlight the real impact of economic policies that leave workers behind

IOWA — A new national jobs report shows the U.S. economy lost 92,000 jobs in February, marking the third month of job losses in the past five months and pushing the unemployment rate up to 4.4%. The troubling report comes as workers in Iowa are already feeling the effects of layoffs and economic uncertainty.

Here in Iowa, 481 layoffs were announced in February alone, with the majority tied to job cuts at the Whirlpool manufacturing facility in Middle Amana.

Earlier this year, Whirlpool Corporation announced it would lay off 341 workers at its Amana refrigerator plant, a devastating blow to a facility that has anchored the local economy for decades. The layoffs come as the company faces questions about shifting production overseas and as manufacturing jobs remain under pressure nationwide.

Despite the growing warning signs for workers, Representatives Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks have voted for policies that raise costs and put Iowa jobs at risk, backing Trump’s tariffs that hurt manufacturers while supporting cuts to Medicaid and SNAP that weaken the communities where Iowa workers live and spend their paychecks, while prioritizing tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy.

The Whirlpool layoffs underscore how deeply job losses can affect entire communities. For decades, the Amana plant has supported thousands of families and small businesses across eastern Iowa. Now, hundreds of workers face uncertainty about their futures. This has sparked concern from labor leaders across the state about the long-term impact on workers and local economies.

“The workers built this company. They deserve better than pink slips and promises,” wrote Rick Moyle, Executive Director of the Hawkeye Area Labor Council AFL-CIO and President of the Iowa State Council of Machinists, in a recent op-ed about the layoffs at the Whirlpool plant in Amana.

As job losses mount and manufacturing communities face growing uncertainty, Iowa’s representatives in Congress should be focused on protecting workers and strengthening local economies. Instead, Rep. Nunn and Rep. Miller-Meeks continue to support policies that raise costs and undermine the very communities they were elected to represent, leaving Iowa workers and their families to bear the consequences.