Michigan Layoffs — March 2008
Employers in Michigan filed 6 WARN Act notices in March 2008, impacting roughly 1,085 workers — representing a notable rise over February and down 50% versus March 2007. The average filing covered 181 workers, with 4 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 2 | 660 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 179 |
| Transportation | 2 | 163 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 83 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 660 workers across 2 notices. In a parallel development, Finance & Insurance reported 179 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Kent | 1 | 550 |
| Wayne | 3 | 246 |
| Ingham | 1 | 179 |
| Shiawassee | 1 | 110 |
Kent was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 51% of all affected workers with 550 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids | 1 | 550 |
| Lansing | 1 | 179 |
| Owosso | 1 | 110 |
| Romulus | 1 | 108 |
| Detroit | 1 | 83 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 2 | 605 |
| Closure | 4 | 480 |
Closures accounted for 44% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelcase (inc. Caledonia Wood Plant) | Grand Rapids | 550 | Layoff | |
| Bank of America | Lansing | 179 | Closure | |
| Cni | Owosso | 110 | Closure | |
| Penske Logistics | Romulus | 108 | Closure | |
| AT&T | Detroit | 83 | Closure | |
| Menlo Worldwide Logistics | Brownstown | 55 | Layoff |
The single largest action involved Steelcase (inc. Caledonia Wood Plant) at its Grand Rapids facility, reporting 550 affected workers. Bank of America followed with 179 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The data underscores a mixed picture for Michigan's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. 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.