Michigan Layoffs — August 2004
Employers in Michigan posted 11 WARN Act notices in August 2004, affecting an estimated 1,379 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to July and up 140% versus August 2003. The average filing covered 125 workers, with 10 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 7 | 1,025 |
| Healthcare | 4 | 354 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 1,025 workers across 7 notices. On a related front, Healthcare reported 354 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Berrien | 1 | 530 |
| Wayne | 4 | 416 |
| Muskegon | 2 | 171 |
| Jackson | 1 | 97 |
| Washtenaw | 1 | 70 |
Berrien saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 38% of all affected workers with 530 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| St. Joseph | 1 | 530 |
| Detroit | 3 | 304 |
| Muskegon | 2 | 171 |
| Plymouth | 1 | 112 |
| Jackson | 1 | 97 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 10 | 849 |
| Layoff | 1 | 530 |
The high proportion of closures (62% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Michigan's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Bosch Corp. Chassis Davis | St. Joseph | 530 | Layoff | |
| Wellness Plan | Detroit | 129 | Closure | |
| Hahn Elastomer | Plymouth | 112 | Closure | |
| Plastigage | Jackson | 97 | Closure | |
| Gateway Health Center | Detroit | 95 | Closure | |
| Dana Cor. Perfect Circle Div | Muskegon | 86 | Closure | |
| Dana | Muskegon | 85 | Closure | |
| East Area Health Clinic | Detroit | 80 | Closure | |
| Chelsea Industries | Saline | 70 | Closure | |
| Northwest Health Center | Oak Park | 50 | Closure | |
| Hahn Elastomer | Warren | 45 | Closure |
The largest notice was filed by Robert Bosch Corp. Chassis Davis at its St. Joseph facility, reporting 530 affected workers. Wellness Plan followed with 129 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The trends suggest 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.