Employers in Michigan submitted 15 WARN Act notices in August 2009, putting at risk an estimated 1,299 workers — up substantially from July and up 29% versus August 2008. The average filing covered 87 workers, with 11 closures among the notices.
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Information & Technology | 3 | 424 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 30 |
| Transportation | 1 | 0 |
The Information & Technology sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 424 workers across 3 notices. Separately, Manufacturing reported 30 workers.
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Oakland | 4 | 284 |
| Muskegon | 1 | 269 |
| Wayne | 4 | 174 |
| Tuscola | 1 | 163 |
| Ontonagon | 1 | 150 |
Oakland bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 22% of all affected workers with 284 workers across 4 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Muskegon | 1 | 269 |
| Vassar | 1 | 163 |
| Ontonagon | 1 | 150 |
| Riverview | 2 | 110 |
| Troy | 1 | 102 |
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 11 | 1,095 |
| Layoff | 4 | 204 |
The high proportion of closures (84% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Michigan's labor market.
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yale LiftTech | Muskegon | 269 | Closure | 2009-08-17 |
| Grede Foundries | Vassar | 163 | Closure | 2009-08-24 |
| SmurfitStone Container Corp | Ontonagon | 150 | Closure | 2009-08-31 |
| Kmart Corp | Troy | 102 | Closure | 2009-08-06 |
| Morley Great Lakes Technology Center | Flint | 100 | Layoff | 2009-08-12 |
| Ready Set Service, LLC | Elk Grove Village | 96 | Layoff | 2009-08-18 |
| Kmart Corp | Commerce Township | 80 | Closure | 2009-08-06 |
| Kmart Corp | Farmington | 80 | Closure | 2009-08-06 |
| Taminco Higher Amines, Inc | Riverview | 80 | Closure | 2009-08-31 |
| Chrome Craft Corporation | Highland Park | 64 | Closure | 2009-08-03 |
| Nachi Machining Technology Co | Macomb | 55 | Closure | 2009-08-03 |
| Syncreon Automotive | Riverview | 30 | Closure | 2009-08-17 |
| Lear Corp | Rochester Hills | 22 | Closure | 2009-08-10 |
| NuVu | Menominee | 8 | Layoff | 2009-08-18 |
| Pro Logistics, Inc | Romulus | 0 | Layoff | 2009-08-14 |
Topping the list was Yale LiftTech at its Muskegon facility, reporting 269 affected workers. Grede Foundries followed with 163 workers.
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 Information & Technology 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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