Michigan Layoffs — January 2005
Employers in Michigan recorded 5 WARN Act notices in January 2005, covering approximately 526 workers — marking a sharp increase from December and down 54% versus January 2004. The average filing covered 105 workers, with 2 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 1 | 320 |
| Manufacturing | 3 | 197 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 9 |
The Retail sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 320 workers across 1 notice. At the same time, Manufacturing reported 197 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Wayne | 3 | 487 |
| Gratiot | 1 | 30 |
| Oakland | 1 | 9 |
Wayne bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 93% of all affected workers with 487 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Canton | 1 | 320 |
| Westland | 2 | 167 |
| Ithaca | 1 | 30 |
| Southfield | 1 | 9 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 2 | 420 |
| Layoff | 3 | 106 |
The high proportion of closures (80% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Michigan's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kmart | Canton | 320 | Closure | |
| Ternes Packaging | Westland | 100 | Closure | |
| Ternes Packaging | Westland | 67 | Layoff | |
| Paulstra CRC | Ithaca | 30 | Layoff | |
| Cingular Wireless | Southfield | 9 | Layoff |
Leading the list was Kmart at its Canton facility, reporting 320 affected workers. Ternes Packaging followed with 100 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The filings reflect a mixed picture for Michigan's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Retail 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.