Michigan Layoffs — September 2002
Employers in Michigan filed 6 WARN Act notices in September 2002, impacting roughly 493 workers — representing a pullback from August and down 74% versus September 2001. The average filing covered 82 workers, with 5 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 3 | 406 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 47 |
| Transportation | 1 | 25 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 15 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 406 workers across 3 notices. In a parallel development, Information & Technology reported 47 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Lapeer | 1 | 244 |
| Kalamazoo | 1 | 90 |
| Branch | 1 | 72 |
| Oakland | 1 | 47 |
| Kent | 1 | 25 |
Lapeer felt the sharpest impact, accounting for 49% of all affected workers with 244 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Lapeer | 1 | 244 |
| Portage | 1 | 90 |
| Coldwater | 1 | 72 |
| Pontiac | 1 | 47 |
| Grand Rapids | 1 | 25 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 5 | 446 |
| Layoff | 1 | 47 |
The high proportion of closures (90% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Michigan's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durakon Industries | Lapeer | 244 | Closure | |
| Titan Plastic Group | Portage | 90 | Closure | |
| Profile Extrusions | Coldwater | 72 | Closure | |
| Flint Special Services | Pontiac | 47 | Layoff | |
| BWUCGlobe Aviation Svcs (GR) | Grand Rapids | 25 | Closure | |
| United American Healthcare | Detroit | 15 | Closure |
The single largest action involved Durakon Industries at its Lapeer facility, reporting 244 affected workers. Titan Plastic Group followed with 90 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The data underscores a easing in workforce disruptions across Michigan, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. 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.