Michigan Layoffs — September 2008
Employers in Michigan filed 9 WARN Act notices in September 2008, impacting roughly 1,107 workers — representing a notable rise over August and up 244% versus September 2007. The average filing covered 123 workers, with 8 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 6 | 863 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 150 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 57 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 37 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 863 workers across 6 notices. In a parallel development, Accommodation & Food reported 150 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Traverse | 1 | 347 |
| Huron | 1 | 159 |
| Oceana | 1 | 150 |
| Calhoun | 1 | 114 |
| Lapeer | 1 | 106 |
Grand Traverse felt the sharpest impact, accounting for 31% of all affected workers with 347 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Traverse City | 1 | 347 |
| Sebawaing | 1 | 159 |
| Rothbury | 1 | 150 |
| Battle Creek | 1 | 114 |
| Lapeer | 1 | 106 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 8 | 1,057 |
| Layoff | 1 | 50 |
The high proportion of closures (95% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Michigan's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tower Automotive | Traverse City | 347 | Closure | |
| Lapeer Metal Stamping | Sebawaing | 159 | Closure | |
| Double JJ Resort | Rothbury | 150 | Closure | |
| Rehrig United (United Steel & Wire) | Battle Creek | 114 | Closure | |
| Lapeer Metal Stamping Plant #2 | Lapeer | 106 | Closure | |
| Lapeer Metal Stamping | Dearborn | 87 | Closure | |
| Hewitt Associates | Kalamazoo | 57 | Closure | |
| Len Industries | Leslie | 50 | Layoff | |
| Citizens Bank | Flint | 37 | Closure |
The single largest action involved Tower Automotive at its Traverse City facility, reporting 347 affected workers. Lapeer Metal Stamping followed with 159 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
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.