Michigan Layoffs — October 2002
Employers in Michigan filed 9 WARN Act notices in October 2002, impacting roughly 1,789 workers — representing a notable rise over September and up 12% versus October 2001. The average filing covered 199 workers, with 5 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 3 | 844 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 520 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 159 |
| Information & Technology | 3 | 147 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 119 |
The Transportation sector led the way in workforce reductions with 844 workers across 3 notices. In a parallel development, Healthcare reported 520 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Wayne | 3 | 1,283 |
| Kent | 1 | 159 |
| Macomb | 1 | 100 |
| Calhoun | 1 | 100 |
| Washtenaw | 1 | 88 |
Wayne was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 72% of all affected workers with 1,283 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Romulus | 1 | 644 |
| Trenton | 1 | 520 |
| Grand Rapids | 1 | 159 |
| Taylor | 1 | 119 |
| Warren | 1 | 100 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 5 | 998 |
| Layoff | 4 | 791 |
The high proportion of closures (56% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Michigan's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Airlines | Romulus | 644 | Layoff | |
| Riverside Osteopathic Hospital | Trenton | 520 | Closure | |
| Assurant Group | Grand Rapids | 159 | Closure | |
| Sealy | Taylor | 119 | Closure | |
| Marriott Distribution Services | Warren | 100 | Closure | |
| AMT Freight | Battle Creek | 100 | Closure | |
| AT&T (Ann Arbor) | Ann Arbor | 88 | Layoff | |
| SBC Ameritech (2555 S Grand Traver) | Flint | 58 | Layoff | |
| SBC Ameritech (2610 Grand Traverse) | Flint | 1 | Layoff |
The single largest action involved Northwest Airlines at its Romulus facility, reporting 644 affected workers. Riverside Osteopathic Hospital followed with 520 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The data underscores mounting pressure on the Michigan labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Transportation 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.