Michigan Layoffs — September 2003
Employers in Michigan recorded 9 WARN Act notices in September 2003, covering approximately 1,991 workers — marking a sharp increase from August and up 304% versus September 2002. The average filing covered 221 workers, with 7 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 5 | 1,169 |
| Transportation | 1 | 588 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 100 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1 | 81 |
| Construction | 1 | 53 |
The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 1,169 workers across 5 notices. At the same time, Transportation reported 588 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Wayne | 6 | 1,620 |
| Berrien | 1 | 164 |
| Kent | 1 | 145 |
| Washtenaw | 1 | 62 |
Wayne felt the sharpest impact, accounting for 81% of all affected workers with 1,620 workers across 6 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit | 5 | 1,032 |
| Livonia | 1 | 588 |
| St. Joseph | 1 | 164 |
| Grand Rapids | 1 | 145 |
| Ann Arbor | 1 | 62 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 7 | 1,838 |
| Layoff | 2 | 153 |
The high proportion of closures (92% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Michigan's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daimler Chrysler Glass Plant | Detroit | 648 | Closure | |
| Northwest Airlines | Livonia | 588 | Closure | |
| Collins & Aikman | St. Joseph | 164 | Closure | |
| Ipmc | Detroit | 150 | Closure | |
| Rowe International | Grand Rapids | 145 | Closure | |
| Kindred Hospital | Detroit | 100 | Layoff | |
| Standard Distributing | Detroit | 81 | Closure | |
| Whatman | Ann Arbor | 62 | Closure | |
| Pulte Home Sciences | Detroit | 53 | Layoff |
Leading the list was Daimler Chrysler Glass Plant at its Detroit facility, reporting 648 affected workers. Northwest Airlines followed with 588 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The filings reflect 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.