Michigan Layoffs — August 2002
Employers in Michigan posted 16 WARN Act notices in August 2002, affecting an estimated 1,765 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to July and up 128% versus August 2001. The average filing covered 110 workers, with 11 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 5 | 953 |
| Retail | 7 | 644 |
| Utilities | 1 | 79 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 77 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 10 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 2 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 953 workers across 5 notices. On a related front, Retail reported 644 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Wayne | 6 | 1,062 |
| Kent | 3 | 227 |
| Oakland | 3 | 200 |
| Washtenaw | 1 | 120 |
| Saint Clair | 1 | 79 |
Wayne was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 60% of all affected workers with 1,062 workers across 6 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit | 1 | 700 |
| Livonia | 2 | 198 |
| Ann Arbor | 1 | 120 |
| E. Grand Rapids | 1 | 90 |
| Grand Rapids | 1 | 80 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 5 | 972 |
| Closure | 11 | 793 |
Closures accounted for 45% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Diesel | Detroit | 700 | Layoff | |
| Jacobsons Stores, Inc. (Livonia) | Livonia | 130 | Closure | |
| Jacobsons Stores, Inc. (Ann Arbor) | Ann Arbor | 120 | Closure | |
| Jacobsons Stores, Inc. (E. GR) | E. Grand Rapids | 90 | Closure | |
| Owens Corning | Grand Rapids | 80 | Closure | |
| Baker Electrical Products | Memphis | 79 | Layoff | |
| Jacobsons Stores, Inc. (Birmingham) | Birmingham | 78 | Closure | |
| Jacobsons Stores, Inc. (Grosse Pte) | Grosse Pointe | 77 | Closure | |
| National City Bank | Southgate | 77 | Layoff | |
| Jacobsons Stores, Inc. (Okemos) | Okemos | 75 | Closure | |
| Jacobsons Stores, Inc. (Rchstr Hill | Rochester Hills | 74 | Closure | |
| SPX Air Gage | Livonia | 68 | Layoff | |
| ITWB&L Plastis | Rockford | 57 | Closure | |
| Saturn Electronics & Engineering | Auburn Hills | 48 | Layoff | |
| Advanced Transcription Services | Taylor | 10 | Closure |
The largest notice was filed by Detroit Diesel at its Detroit facility, reporting 700 affected workers. Jacobsons Stores, Inc. (Livonia) followed with 130 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The trends suggest mounting pressure on the Michigan labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by Michigan. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires employers with 100+ employees to provide 60-day advance notice of mass layoffs and plant closings. Data is updated daily by WARN Firehose. View all Michigan WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.