Michigan Layoffs — February 2019
Employers in Michigan filed 12 WARN Act notices in February 2019, impacting roughly 5,469 workers — representing a notable rise over January and up 1099% versus February 2018. The average filing covered 456 workers, with 6 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 8 | 3,797 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 1,298 |
| Retail | 2 | 281 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 93 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 3,797 workers across 8 notices. In a parallel development, Information & Technology reported 1,298 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Wayne | 4 | 3,427 |
| Macomb | 2 | 1,434 |
| Kent | 2 | 252 |
| Mason | 1 | 151 |
| Oakland | 2 | 112 |
Wayne bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 63% of all affected workers with 3,427 workers across 4 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Flat Rock | 1 | 3,100 |
| Warren | 1 | 1,298 |
| Detroit | 1 | 175 |
| Ludington | 1 | 151 |
| Grand Rapids | 1 | 145 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 6 | 4,781 |
| Closure | 6 | 688 |
Closures accounted for 13% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Motor Co. - Flat Rock | Flat Rock | 3,100 | Layoff | |
| General Motors - Technical Center | Warren | 1,298 | Layoff | |
| Integrated Manufacturing & Assembly | Detroit | 175 | Layoff | |
| Harsco Rail | Ludington | 151 | Closure | |
| Amstore | Grand Rapids | 145 | Closure | |
| Target | Sterling Heights | 136 | Closure | |
| Kerry | Kentwood | 107 | Closure | |
| Dakkota Integrated Systems | Brownstown | 106 | Layoff | |
| Dorma USA | Madison Heights | 103 | Closure | |
| Monroe Bank & Trust | Monroe | 93 | Layoff | |
| PPG Coating Services | Livonia | 46 | Closure | |
| The RADGroup | Troy | 9 | Layoff |
The single largest action involved Ford Motor Co. - Flat Rock at its Flat Rock facility, reporting 3,100 affected workers. General Motors - Technical Center followed with 1,298 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
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.