Employers in Michigan recorded 12 WARN Act notices in May 2003, covering approximately 1,281 workers — marking a decline from April and down 21% versus May 2002. The average filing covered 107 workers, with 8 closures among the notices.
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 3 | 483 |
| Retail | 1 | 169 |
The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 483 workers across 3 notices. At the same time, Retail reported 169 workers.
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Kent | 3 | 410 |
| Ingham | 1 | 258 |
| Wayne | 3 | 187 |
| Calhoun | 1 | 170 |
| Mason | 1 | 168 |
Kent was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 32% of all affected workers with 410 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids | 2 | 342 |
| Lansing | 1 | 258 |
| Battle Creek | 1 | 170 |
| Detroit | 2 | 169 |
| Ludington | 1 | 168 |
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 8 | 948 |
| Layoff | 4 | 333 |
The high proportion of closures (74% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Michigan's labor market.
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wohlert | Lansing | 258 | Closure | 2003-05-30 |
| Steelcase | Grand Rapids | 247 | Layoff | 2003-05-06 |
| Eimo Americas | Battle Creek | 170 | Closure | 2003-05-01 |
| Target | Detroit | 169 | Closure | 2003-05-27 |
| Straits Steel & Wire Company | Ludington | 168 | Closure | 2003-05-19 |
| Venture Industries | Grand Rapids | 95 | Closure | 2003-05-01 |
| Textron Fastening Systems | Madison Heights | 85 | Closure | 2003-05-19 |
| Steelcase | Caledonia | 68 | Layoff | 2003-05-06 |
| Brown & Williamson Tobacco | Livonia | 18 | Layoff | 2003-05-21 |
| Citation Tool, Inc | Roseville | 3 | Closure | 2003-05-05 |
| Detroit's Work Place | Detroit | 0 | Layoff | 2003-05-15 |
| Federated Group | Novi | 0 | Closure | 2003-05-29 |
Leading the list was Wohlert at its Lansing facility, reporting 258 affected workers. Steelcase followed with 247 workers.
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
The filings reflect a easing in workforce disruptions across Michigan, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. 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.
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