Michigan Layoffs — October 2011
Employers in Michigan submitted 7 WARN Act notices in October 2011, putting at risk an estimated 957 workers — up substantially from September and up 193% versus October 2010. The average filing covered 137 workers, with 4 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 2 | 530 |
| Manufacturing | 4 | 338 |
| Retail | 1 | 89 |
The Transportation sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 530 workers across 2 notices. Separately, Manufacturing reported 338 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Wayne | 3 | 565 |
| Macomb | 2 | 257 |
| Ionia | 1 | 89 |
| Oakland | 1 | 46 |
Wayne saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 59% of all affected workers with 565 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Romulus | 1 | 427 |
| Chesterfield | 1 | 214 |
| Detroit | 1 | 103 |
| Ionia | 1 | 89 |
| Troy | 1 | 46 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 4 | 833 |
| Layoff | 3 | 124 |
The high proportion of closures (87% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Michigan's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mesaba Airlines | Romulus | 427 | Closure | |
| Burtek | Chesterfield | 214 | Closure | |
| Mesaba Airlines | Detroit | 103 | Closure | |
| Lowe's Home Centers | Ionia | 89 | Closure | |
| Smart | Troy | 46 | Layoff | |
| Smart | Clinton Township | 43 | Layoff | |
| Smart | Inkster | 35 | Layoff |
Topping the list was Mesaba Airlines at its Romulus facility, reporting 427 affected workers. Burtek followed with 214 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
These figures highlight mounting pressure on the Michigan labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Transportation 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.