WE Soda Cuts 350 Jobs as Soda Ash Slumps

Wyoming trona suppliers and vendors should expect smaller output and a slower hiring climate through at least 2028.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Manufacturing

WE Soda Cuts 350 Jobs as Soda Ash Slumps

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WE Soda, a Wyoming trona miner and soda ash producer, will cut 350 jobs at its Westvaco operation over roughly two years as it converts underground mining to in-situ solution recovery. The workforce falls from about 850 to 500, and layoffs begin in January 2027.

Why it matters

The company says the repositioning is needed to strengthen the long-term competitiveness of its Wyoming operations, responding to low-cost Chinese soda ash exports that have significantly pressured American soda ash pricing in export markets. For Wyoming's trona sector, the move signals that producers are restructuring around a downturn now in its fourth year.

WE Soda's plan takes its Westvaco workforce from roughly 850 to 500, eliminating 350 jobs, and cuts annual soda ash output by more than 1.5 million metric tons. Soda ash derived from trona remains the state's largest global export commodity, worth an estimated $1.3 billion a year.

The players

WE Soda

A Wyoming trona miner and soda ash producer whose Westvaco operation is being converted from underground mining to in-situ solution recovery.

The details

In-situ solution recovery is a drill-and-pump method that requires far less labor than underground mining, which is why the conversion reduces headcount so sharply. The reduction includes export sales that are no longer commercially viable at current prices, meaning some volume is being cut rather than redirected. The transition will be carried out progressively over approximately the next two years, so the cuts will not land in a single step.

November 4, 2026: WE Soda announced the job cuts and mining conversion.
September 2026: The CEO described industry pressure and headwinds to WyoFile.
January 2027: Layoffs begin at the Westvaco operation.
2027-2028: Underground mining is converted and 350 jobs are cut.

Market Landscape

The cuts follow a downturn in Wyoming's trona and soda ash industry that is now in its fourth year, driven by low-cost Chinese soda ash flooding export markets. Producers in southwest Wyoming are responding by restructuring their operations, and the industry expects the downturn to persist for at least a couple more years.

Operators in Wyoming's trona and soda ash supply chain should expect headcount and production volumes to tighten over the next two years, and vendors serving underground mining may see reduced demand. Businesses that depend on the region's industrial payroll should plan for a slower hiring environment as the downturn continues.

The takeaway

Operators tied to Wyoming's trona sector should model demand against a workforce and output base that is shrinking for at least the next two years. Track whether other southwest Wyoming producers announce comparable conversions, since that would signal how deep the export-pricing pressure runs.

What happens next

Layoffs at the Westvaco operation are scheduled to begin in January 2027, with the full 350-job reduction and mining conversion playing out over roughly the following two years.