Michigan Layoffs — August 2008
Employers in Michigan posted 11 WARN Act notices in August 2008, affecting an estimated 1,005 workers — reflecting a cooling compared to July and up 89% versus August 2007. The average filing covered 91 workers, with 7 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 8 | 764 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 108 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 73 |
| Transportation | 1 | 60 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 764 workers across 8 notices. On a related front, Information & Technology reported 108 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Oakland | 4 | 282 |
| Saginaw | 1 | 160 |
| Washtenaw | 1 | 160 |
| Cass | 1 | 150 |
| Livingston | 1 | 106 |
Oakland was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 28% of all affected workers with 282 workers across 4 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Carrollton | 1 | 160 |
| Ypsilanti | 1 | 160 |
| Dowagiac | 1 | 150 |
| Troy | 2 | 126 |
| Southfield | 1 | 108 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 7 | 787 |
| Layoff | 4 | 218 |
The high proportion of closures (78% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Michigan's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson Controls | Carrollton | 160 | Closure | |
| Visteon | Ypsilanti | 160 | Closure | |
| ICG Castings | Dowagiac | 150 | Closure | |
| Comcast | Southfield | 108 | Closure | |
| Johnson Controls | Hartland | 106 | Closure | |
| GMAC ResCap | Troy | 73 | Layoff | |
| Action Distribution | Grand Rapids | 60 | Layoff | |
| Semperian | Troy | 53 | Closure | |
| ICG Castings | Bridgeman | 50 | Closure | |
| Semperian | Auburn Hills | 48 | Layoff | |
| Von Weise | Eaton Rapids | 37 | Layoff |
The largest notice was filed by Johnson Controls at its Carrollton facility, reporting 160 affected workers. Visteon followed with 160 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The trends suggest 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.