Michigan Layoffs — May 2003
Employers in Michigan filed 10 WARN Act notices in May 2003, impacting roughly 1,281 workers — representing a pullback from April and down 21% versus May 2002. The average filing covered 128 workers, with 7 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 9 | 1,112 |
| Retail | 1 | 169 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 1,112 workers across 9 notices. In a parallel development, Retail reported 169 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Kent | 3 | 410 |
| Ingham | 1 | 258 |
| Wayne | 2 | 187 |
| Calhoun | 1 | 170 |
| Mason | 1 | 168 |
Kent saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 32% of all affected workers with 410 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids | 2 | 342 |
| Lansing | 1 | 258 |
| Battle Creek | 1 | 170 |
| Detroit | 1 | 169 |
| Ludington | 1 | 168 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 7 | 948 |
| Layoff | 3 | 333 |
The high proportion of closures (74% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Michigan's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wohlert | Lansing | 258 | Closure | |
| Steelcase | Grand Rapids | 247 | Layoff | |
| Eimo Americas | Battle Creek | 170 | Closure | |
| Target | Detroit | 169 | Closure | |
| Straits Steel & Wire | Ludington | 168 | Closure | |
| Venture Industries | Grand Rapids | 95 | Closure | |
| Textron Fastening Systems | Madison Heights | 85 | Closure | |
| Steelcase | Caledonia | 68 | Layoff | |
| Brown & Williamson Tobacco | Livonia | 18 | Layoff | |
| Citation Tool | Roseville | 3 | Closure |
The single largest action involved Wohlert at its Lansing facility, reporting 258 affected workers. Steelcase followed with 247 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
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.