Michigan Layoffs — May 2009
Employers in Michigan filed 13 WARN Act notices in May 2009, impacting roughly 1,697 workers — representing a notable rise over April and up 90% versus May 2008. The average filing covered 131 workers, with 9 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 7 | 1,267 |
| Utilities | 1 | 150 |
| Information & Technology | 2 | 125 |
| Professional Services | 2 | 91 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1 | 64 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 1,267 workers across 7 notices. In a parallel development, Utilities reported 150 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Berrien | 1 | 520 |
| Wayne | 4 | 336 |
| Monroe | 1 | 257 |
| Lapeer | 1 | 143 |
| Barry | 1 | 125 |
Berrien saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 31% of all affected workers with 520 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Niles | 1 | 520 |
| Dundee | 1 | 257 |
| Detroit | 1 | 150 |
| Lapeer | 1 | 143 |
| Middleville | 1 | 125 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 9 | 1,493 |
| Layoff | 4 | 204 |
The high proportion of closures (88% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Michigan's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Refrigeration | Niles | 520 | Closure | |
| Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance | Dundee | 257 | Closure | |
| Michigan Waste Energy | Detroit | 150 | Closure | |
| Penda | Lapeer | 143 | Closure | |
| Metaldyne | Middleville | 125 | Closure | |
| Milsco Manufacturing | Jackson | 93 | Closure | |
| CDG Management | Lansing | 74 | Closure | |
| Means Industries | Saginaw | 68 | Layoff | |
| Roush Technical Services | Allen Park | 67 | Closure | |
| Stock Building Supply | Macomb | 64 | Closure | |
| Worthington Specialty Processing | Canton | 61 | Layoff | |
| The Wackenhut | Livonia | 58 | Layoff | |
| SurFlo Plastics & Engineering | Warren | 17 | Layoff |
The single largest action involved Tyler Refrigeration at its Niles facility, reporting 520 affected workers. Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance followed with 257 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.