Michigan Layoffs — March 2005
Employers in Michigan filed 9 WARN Act notices in March 2005, impacting roughly 5,390 workers — representing a notable rise over February and up 295% versus March 2004. The average filing covered 599 workers, with 8 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 7 | 5,107 |
| Transportation | 1 | 220 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 63 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 5,107 workers across 7 notices. In a parallel development, Transportation reported 220 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Ingham | 4 | 4,258 |
| Kent | 2 | 807 |
| Saginaw | 1 | 176 |
| Antrim | 1 | 97 |
| Macomb | 1 | 52 |
Ingham was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 79% of all affected workers with 4,258 workers across 4 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Lansing | 4 | 4,258 |
| Grand Rapids | 1 | 600 |
| Walker | 1 | 207 |
| Carrollton | 1 | 176 |
| Central Lake | 1 | 97 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 8 | 5,183 |
| Layoff | 1 | 207 |
The high proportion of closures (96% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Michigan's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Motors Lansing Car Assem | Lansing | 2,200 | Closure | |
| General Motors (Lansing Car Ass'y) | Lansing | 1,775 | Closure | |
| Steelcase | Grand Rapids | 600 | Closure | |
| Comprehensive Logistics | Lansing | 220 | Closure | |
| Lear | Walker | 207 | Layoff | |
| Michigan Sugar | Carrollton | 176 | Closure | |
| Second Chance Body Armor | Central Lake | 97 | Closure | |
| ACS State & Local Solutions | Lansing | 63 | Closure | |
| Key Plastics | Chesterfield | 52 | Closure |
The single largest action involved General Motors Lansing Car Assem at its Lansing facility, reporting 2,200 affected workers. General Motors (Lansing Car Ass'y) followed with 1,775 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The data underscores 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.