Michigan Layoffs — February 2003
Employers in Michigan logged 8 WARN Act notices in February 2003, involving roughly 1,913 workers — falling below January and down 7% versus February 2002. The average filing covered 239 workers, with 5 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 4 | 1,617 |
| Transportation | 1 | 185 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 100 |
| Retail | 1 | 9 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 2 |
The Manufacturing sector dominated layoff filings with 1,617 workers across 4 notices. Meanwhile, Transportation reported 185 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Kent | 1 | 1,350 |
| Wayne | 3 | 396 |
| Kalamazoo | 1 | 100 |
| Macomb | 1 | 56 |
| Oakland | 2 | 11 |
Kent absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 71% of all affected workers with 1,350 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Kentwood | 1 | 1,350 |
| Ecorse | 1 | 200 |
| Romulus | 1 | 185 |
| Kalamazoo | 1 | 100 |
| Roseville | 1 | 56 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 5 | 1,626 |
| Layoff | 3 | 287 |
The high proportion of closures (85% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Michigan's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Bosch | Kentwood | 1,350 | Closure | |
| National Steel | Ecorse | 200 | Closure | |
| Northwest Airlines | Romulus | 185 | Layoff | |
| National City | Kalamazoo | 100 | Layoff | |
| Edgcomb Metals | Roseville | 56 | Closure | |
| National Steel | Trenton | 11 | Closure | |
| Wherehouse Music | Rochester Hills | 9 | Closure | |
| Lucent Technologies | Wixom | 2 | Layoff |
The biggest impact was at Robert Bosch at its Kentwood facility, reporting 1,350 affected workers. National Steel followed with 200 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This data points to 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.