Michigan Layoffs — March 2003
Employers in Michigan reported 13 WARN Act notices in March 2003, displacing an estimated 1,861 workers — signaling a deceleration from February and down 17% versus March 2002. The average filing covered 143 workers, with 4 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 5 | 1,009 |
| Manufacturing | 7 | 804 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 48 |
The Transportation sector topped the list of affected industries with 1,009 workers across 5 notices. Notably, Manufacturing reported 804 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Wayne | 3 | 1,233 |
| Osceola | 1 | 207 |
| Kent | 3 | 162 |
| Ingham | 1 | 128 |
| Macomb | 1 | 85 |
Wayne saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 66% of all affected workers with 1,233 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Romulus | 1 | 984 |
| Reed | 1 | 207 |
| Detroit | 1 | 173 |
| Webberville | 1 | 128 |
| Grandville | 1 | 107 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 9 | 1,434 |
| Closure | 4 | 427 |
Closures accounted for 23% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Airlines | Romulus | 984 | Layoff | |
| Nabco | Reed | 207 | Closure | |
| Milford Fabricating | Detroit | 173 | Layoff | |
| Keykert USA | Webberville | 128 | Layoff | |
| J.L. French | Grandville | 107 | Closure | |
| Veltri Metal Products | Harrison Township | 85 | Closure | |
| Cadillac Asphalt | Dearborn | 76 | Layoff | |
| Cbca | Grand Rapids | 48 | Layoff | |
| Anderson Pattern | Muskegon Heights | 28 | Closure | |
| Northwest Airlines | Bay City | 9 | Layoff | |
| Northwest Airlines | Grand Rapids | 7 | Layoff | |
| Northwest Airlines | Kalamazoo | 5 | Layoff | |
| Northwest Airlines | Flint | 4 | Layoff |
The most significant filing came from Northwest Airlines at its Romulus facility, reporting 984 affected workers. Nabco followed with 207 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
The numbers illustrate a easing in workforce disruptions across Michigan, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. 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.