Michigan Layoffs — January 2009
Employers in Michigan reported 15 WARN Act notices in January 2009, displacing an estimated 3,112 workers — signaling an acceleration from December and up 192% versus January 2008. The average filing covered 207 workers, with 11 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 12 | 2,820 |
| Retail | 1 | 115 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 105 |
| Mining & Energy | 1 | 72 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 2,820 workers across 12 notices. Notably, Retail reported 115 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Ingham | 2 | 1,418 |
| Kent | 3 | 373 |
| Kalamazoo | 1 | 215 |
| Sanilac | 1 | 170 |
| Osceola | 1 | 160 |
Ingham bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 46% of all affected workers with 1,418 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Lansing | 2 | 1,418 |
| Portage | 1 | 215 |
| Deckerville | 1 | 170 |
| Evart | 1 | 160 |
| Caledonia | 1 | 150 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 4 | 1,638 |
| Closure | 11 | 1,474 |
Closures accounted for 47% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GM Lansing Delta Township | Lansing | 1,246 | Layoff | |
| Summit Polymers | Portage | 215 | Closure | |
| Bridgewater Interiors | Lansing | 172 | Layoff | |
| Dott Manufacturing | Deckerville | 170 | Closure | |
| Pittsburg Glass Works | Evart | 160 | Closure | |
| Steelcase (Grand Rapids Wood Plant) | Caledonia | 150 | Closure | |
| Steelcase (Kentwood Manufacturing) Complex) | Kentwood | 150 | Closure | |
| Grede Foundries | Kingsford | 148 | Layoff | |
| Coca Cola Enterprises | Auburn Hills | 127 | Closure | |
| Office Depot | Plymouth | 115 | Closure | |
| WellingtonAlmont | Almont | 108 | Closure | |
| Acument Global Technologies | Fenton | 105 | Closure | |
| International Paper | Howell | 101 | Closure | |
| Wolverine World Wide (Tannery) | Rockford | 73 | Closure | |
| Cliffs Natural Resources | Ishpeming | 72 | Layoff |
The most significant filing came from GM Lansing Delta Township at its Lansing facility, reporting 1,246 affected workers. Summit Polymers followed with 215 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The numbers illustrate 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.