Michigan Layoffs — March 2020
Employers in Michigan filed 49 WARN Act notices in March 2020, impacting roughly 10,380 workers — representing a notable rise over February and up 1130% versus March 2019. The average filing covered 212 workers, with 9 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 17 | 3,705 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 2 | 1,597 |
| Accommodation & Food | 18 | 1,404 |
| Retail | 3 | 1,369 |
| Government | 1 | 1,318 |
| Transportation | 3 | 350 |
| Professional Services | 2 | 169 |
| Agriculture | 1 | 78 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 3,705 workers across 17 notices. In a parallel development, Arts & Entertainment reported 1,597 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Wayne | 11 | 2,789 |
| Kent | 7 | 2,371 |
| Statewide | 1 | 979 |
| Saint Clair | 1 | 800 |
| Kalamazoo | 3 | 726 |
Wayne was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 27% of all affected workers with 2,789 workers across 11 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit | 9 | 2,663 |
| Grand Rapids | 6 | 2,321 |
| Warren | 1 | 979 |
| Marysville | 1 | 800 |
| Portage | 1 | 377 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 40 | 7,638 |
| Closure | 9 | 2,742 |
Closures accounted for 26% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit | Detroit | 1,318 | Layoff | |
| YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids | Grand Rapids | 1,297 | Layoff | |
| Art Van | Warren | 979 | Closure | |
| ZF Axle Drives Marysville | Marysville | 800 | Closure | |
| Benteler Automotive | Grand Rapids | 673 | Layoff | |
| Mann+Hummel | Portage | 377 | Layoff | |
| Kirchhoff Automotive Tecumseh | Tecumseh | 338 | Layoff | |
| Hbf Apu Jv II | Detroit | 313 | Layoff | |
| International Automotive Components (IAC) | Mendon | 311 | Closure | |
| MNM Entertainment DBA Art and Jakes | Shelby Township | 300 | Layoff | |
| The Rapid | Grand Rapids | 270 | Layoff | |
| Rusty Bucket Restaurant & Tavern | Detroit | 260 | Layoff | |
| ZF Chassis Components | Lapeer | 240 | Layoff | |
| Walmart | Ypsilanti | 226 | Closure | |
| HMS Host | Detroit | 202 | Layoff |
The single largest action involved YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit at its Detroit facility, reporting 1,318 affected workers. YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids followed with 1,297 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
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.