Upjohn Institute Michigan Layoff Tracker

In this report, Upjohn Regional presents an overview of layoffs that occurred or were announced in the third quarter of 2026 and discusses how these layoffs are similar to or different from the national trends and what implications they might have for the Prosperity Region and the state of Michigan. The Upjohn Institute Regional Team tracks layoff notices and provides quarterly updates on all large-scale layoffs across the state, illustrating the dynamic nature of the regional economy and providing a valuable tool for governments, economic development agencies, and nonprofits.

In addition to the regular update of the Michigan layoffs map and breakdown of layoffs by industry sector, this quarter’s update focuses on acquisitions and restructurings that have led to closures and layoffs.

Here are three key takeaways from the quarterly update:

• Acquisitions of manufacturing companies that have ultimately led to closures (or part of a company closing) have left consumers with fewer options as conglomerates consolidate their portfolios.
• Restructurings have contributed to job losses for many corporate or administrative employees as companies streamline their operations.
• Continued trends in banking, health care, and automotive/electric vehicle manufacturing are contributing to more layoffs in Michigan.

The report is based on data provided by employers under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act. WARN is a federal labor law that requires employers with 100 or more employees to provide 60 days’ advance notice of a plant closing or mass layoffs. (In May 2020, the Upjohn Institute published research titled "ForeWARNing? Michigan’s Announced Mass Layoffs Under the WARN Act," The report is based on data provided by employers under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act. WARN is a federal labor law that requires employers with 100 or more employees to provide 60 days’ advance notice of a plant closing or mass layoffs.).

The map above examines the frequency and scale of WARN notifications issued in Michigan since 2016—the period before, during, and after the pandemic. The map shows that prepandemic WARN notices in Michigan were typically tied to seasonal factors or issues impacting the manufacture of durable goods. During the pandemic, layoffs increased, particularly in service industries. As the pandemic subsided, Michigan gradually recovered from the initial shock, and WARN notices are now in line with prepandemic levels. To see more detailed economic information for Michigan counties, please visit the Upjohn Regional Datahub

The “Multiplier Effect” Across Industries

The chart below groups the WARN notices by durable manufacturing (products that do not expire), non-durable manufacturing (products that expire quickly), service industries, and agriculture – exposing trends within the larger industry groupings. In addition to the direct employment losses announced by WARN notices, the chart represents the indirect loss in employment, output, gross regional product, personal income, and state and local government revenue due to affecting companies in related supply or customer chains. This represents the cumulative ripple effect that the layoffs have on the state economy due to multipliers for each sector of the economy.  These multipliers are a measure of an Industry's connection to the wider local economy by way of input purchases, sales of their products, payments of wages and taxes, and other transactions. The effects of layoffs are most pronounced in durable goods, followed by non-durable goods, services, and agriculture.

Layoff Overview (Q3 2026)

In Q3 of 2026, 13 companies issued WARN notices, announcing the loss of 2,899 Michigan jobs. Of those announcements, seven occurred during the quarter, affecting 1,748 jobs. One of those seven companies, Notions Marketing, retroactively submitted a WARN notice in early July for 181 jobs lost on June 28. The layoffs followed a June 11 warehouse fire that resulted in contaminated merchandise and canceled contracts. The CEO and chairman of Notions said that the company would set up a team to help affected employees find positions at supplier partners and customers. The remaining six notices are scheduled to occur between October 2026 and March 2027; they will affect 1,151 jobs. No WARN notices were announced by companies within Prosperity Region 8 (Berrien, Van Buren, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Calhoun, and Branch counties) during the quarter.

Continued Trends in Layoffs

Within the first two quarters of 2026, this publication identified trends that are affecting businesses and subsequently jobs in Michigan. Previously identified trends that have continued into this quarter include layoffs from Fifth Third Bank and Compass Group USA and disruptions in the automotive and electric vehicle market.

Fifth Third Bank recently acquired Comerica Bank and began consolidating the businesses in Q2 of this year. This change resulted in 502 layoffs that were scheduled to occur on July 1 at the Farmington Hills location, with more layoffs expected. Fifth Third announced another mass layoff in Auburn Hills scheduled for September 11, affecting 234 jobs. On September 8, a Fifth Third spokesperson confirmed to News 8 that the consolidation of the two businesses had been completed.

Beacon Health Systems acquired Ascension Borgess hospitals in southwest Michigan on July 1, 2025, and this transition still affects the labor market with some terminations and new job announcements. This resulted in the eventual termination of 376 positions from Compass Group USA on July 1, 2026, as Beacon Health moved its nutritional, environmental, and transport services in-house. In Q3, Compass Group USA announced an additional 311 layoffs to occur on July 24 across eight sites in Michigan due to a “loss of contract” through its food and nutrition services operation, Morrison Healthcare. This announcement was followed shortly by an additional layoff notice, from a loss of contract, of 168 jobs from five sites on September 25. Specifics on the contract, or contracted client, have not been released publicly by Compass Group USA. However, the following is known about the contract loss. First, the eight sites listed in the WARN notice are McLaren Healthcare Facilities. Second, the positions affected are all food service positions. Third, during the writing of this article, Compass Group USA still has two open positions at McLaren sites that were listed in the WARN notice. These postings are for a housekeeper and a food service worker. From this information it can be assumed that the contract loss was only for the food service operation (or part of the food service operation) of Compass Group USA at McLaren facilities.

Planned changes to the General Motors 2027 production in Lansing are currently affecting employment in Michigan. On January 14, 2027, General Motors will begin retooling their Lansing Grand River Assembly/Stamping plant and the Lansing Regional Stamping plant for new projects like the next generation Cadillac CT5. The Lansing plants currently manufacture the current CT5, which is scheduled to end production on December 17. It is unclear exactly how long that process will take, but previous retooling periods by GM have been a matter of months. During this period 350 employees will be laid off but may be eligible for either work at other GM facilities or unemployment pay, and many will likely be recalled at the end of the retooling. This retooling marks a definitive commitment to internal combustion engines from GM at this facility, as it was originally planned to receive an investment of $1.25 billion in 2023 to prepare for electric vehicle production. On December 31, Dakkota Integrated Systems will close one of their two Lansing facilities (Dakkota Grove 2), affecting 67 manufacturing jobs. Dakkota, which supplies interior cockpit systems for the GM Lansing Grand River plant and produces parts for the Oshawa, Canada, plant, did not state the reason for the closure. GM is also reportedly preparing to shift light-duty Chevy Silverado 1500 production from the Oshawa plant to focus on heavy-duty pickup trucks. Both GM and GM Canada have not confirmed this plan and insist the Oshawa facility will remain part of its manufacturing network.

SK Siltron closed its two facilities in Bay City on September 19 that will cause 130 layoffs, citing changes in the electric vehicle market. The company constructs silicon carbide wafers that can improve the charging speed and driving range of electric vehicles. Monitor Township officials are working with economic development groups to find another manufacturer for the site.

Closures, Acquisitions, and Restructurings

Six companies across Michigan announced layoffs that originated from acquisitions or restructurings. Layoffs due to restructuring have been announced for Trinity Health, Kroger, and Conduent Commercial Solutions. Layoffs due to acquisitions include Rugged Liner and Niagara Bottling. Meanwhile, Republic National Distributing Company will not conduct layoffs if they are acquired by Martignetti Companies.

Trinity Health and Kroger are both looking to outsource parts of their business soon as part of a restructuring plan. The companies are outsourcing office worker positions that used to be done internally. On June 18, Trinity announced their plan to remove some technology and information support positions that were performed in-house in favor of a vendor that specializes in modern technology infrastructure and service delivery. In a post on their website, Trinity clarified that only technology and information roles that involve internal technology support services, including the service desk and applications support, will be affected. The layoffs will begin on October 25 and end on November 11. Moreover, Trinity acknowledged that financial pressures from “significant reimbursement cuts, low reimbursement that does not cover the true cost of care, critical staffing shortages, and the rising cost of care for underinsured and uninsured patients” also attributed to the decision. Trinity has not responded to inquiries about what vendor it plans to use.

Kroger has recently been going through restructuring and is now nearing the end of their process to close 5 percent (60) of their stores. The decision was made so future investments could be made for the “customer experience” at the remaining Kroger locations. The Kroger at 3288 Corunna Road in Flint Township will close on September 30 as part of this reorganization, affecting 68 jobs. Kroger has stated that it will offer roles in other stores to all associates currently employed at closing locations. Overall, the past two years have been turbulent for the grocer. First, Kroger had been planning to acquire Albertsons, but that deal was blocked by a federal judge in December 2024. This has resulted in ongoing litigation between Kroger and Albertsons that will culminate in a trial on October 19, 2026. Additionally, Kroger issued multiple waves of layoffs throughout 2025, including cutting 1,000 corporate jobs. Throughout 2025, many executive staff at Kroger also left the company, including the former CEO after an investigation into his personal conduct. Now there are concerns from industry consultants that Kroger could be making additional staffing cuts over the next two years as it works to complete its Kroger Capability Center in India.

Conduent Commercial Solutions—a subsidiary of Conduent, a global digital business solutions and technology service company—specifically provides business process outsourcing like customer support and processing claims. On August 28, Conduent terminated 15 remote jobs in Michigan due to a stated “change in business needs.” In May and June of this year, Conduent announced the sale of its public transit business and tolling business. Conduent stated the sale, “advances our strategy to simplify our portfolio, sharpen focus on our core businesses, and strengthen our financial foundation.” Restructurings at Kroger, Trinity Health, and Conduent Commercial Solutions illustrate how market and financial pressures are increasingly translating into layoffs among corporate, administrative, and other non-frontline workers as large employers reduce costs and adapt their operations.

Rugged Liner manufactures bed liners, bed covers, and wheel well guards mostly for domestic truck brands. In 2017, the Owosso-based company was acquired by the Ann Arbor-based automotive accessories company, RealTruck. Under the RealTruck umbrella are approximately 30 brands that also supply exterior truck accessories, which RealTruck has slowly acquired and integrated into its portfolio. On March 19 of 2027, Rugged Liner will close its two facilities in Owosso. While the reason was not directly specified in the WARN notice, the delayed layoff is likely to signal a wind-down so RealTruck can finish orders and transfer assets to one of its other brands. Absopure is a bottled water manufacturer that was recently acquired by Niagara Bottling earlier this year. Now, due to a company reorganization, Niagara will close a Plymouth facility that was previously owned by Absopure, which will cause 86 layoffs. At the end of 2025 Niagara similarly laid off 85 employees from a former Silver Springs Bottling Company plant in Ocala, Florida, which it had acquired in the summer of 2025. The acquisitions and closures of Rugged Liner and Absopure both represent market concentrations, in their respective industries, that leave consumers with fewer options that are not sourced from a single conglomerate.

Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) issued a WARN notice that would affect 641 Michigan jobs at five distribution facilities across the state. However, these layoffs are contingent on a planned acquisition from Martignetti Companies, so it is unclear how many jobs are at risk. RNDC is one of the largest drinks distributors in the United States in the wine and spirits wholesalers’ industry and has faced financial pressures since failing to adjust to a decline in alcohol demand post-Covid. RNDC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on July 26 to pursue selling off pieces or specific markets of the company, while winding down parts of the business that cannot be sold. While the RNDC’s joint ventures in New York, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky are not part of that filing they can be monetized to address the company’s debts. RNDC has already transferred 11 Markets to Reyes Beverage Group in May of this year. If the full 641 layoffs were to occur in Michigan, that would represent 43 percent of NAICS 424820 (Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers) and 15 percent of the broader NAICS 4248 (Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers) in Michigan, as depicted in Figure 1.

The Q3 2026 WARN notices in Michigan demonstrate that employment disruptions are increasingly being driven not only by declining demand or facility-level business conditions but also by broader changes in how companies organize, consolidate, and invest in their operations. Acquisitions have led to the closure or consolidation of previously independent facilities, while corporate restructurings and outsourcing have shifted job losses beyond traditional manufacturing occupations into administrative, technology, and other support positions. Although no WARN notices were announced in Prosperity Region 8 during the quarter, the statewide trends remain relevant to the region because they illustrate the types of restructuring and market changes that can affect local employers and workers. As Michigan continues to navigate these changes, monitoring WARN notices alongside broader industry and employment trends can help regional leaders identify emerging risks, anticipate workforce needs, and respond more effectively to economic disruptions.

Layoff Overview (Q2 2026)

Since Quarter Two of 2026, seven companies have issued WARN notices, which will affect 1,677 Michigan jobs. Although these layoffs were publicly announced in the second quarter of 2026, only four took place in that quarter, affecting 854 jobs. The remaining three notices were informing jobholders of scheduled layoffs to occur from July to December, affecting 823 jobs. In Prosperity Region Eight, only one layoff notice was announced in the second quarter of 2026, for the Menards store in Three Rivers. It became effective on May 13, affecting 68 jobs. Moreover, this layoff was only a temporary response to the EF2 tornado that damaged the store in March, forcing it to close for several weeks. It partially reopened on May 22.  However, during this quarter, three firms (Spirit Airlines, Fifth Third Bank, and Daifuku Services America Corporation), all located in Prosperity Region Ten (Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb Counties), announced layoffs affecting 1,194 jobs.

Of those 1,194 jobs, 502 represent layoffs from Comerica Bank’s operations center in Farmington Hills, as Fifth Third Bank consolidates the two businesses after officially acquiring Comerica in early 2026. This acquisition made Fifth Third the ninth largest bank in the United States.  Additional layoffs are likely to occur later this year as the company decides which branches to keep from the former two companies. In all, 75 branches are expected to close in Michigan.  Fifth Third pursued the purchase to leverage Comerica’s middle-market banking (consisting of companies with annual revenues between $20 million and $500 million) along with its branch footprint in Texas, Michigan, California, Florida, and Arizona.  

Continued Trends

The previous two updates to this report highlighted a continued downturn in the EV market, juxtaposed with rising fuel prices. In Quarter Two of this year, these trends continue to be attributed to layoffs within transportation-related industries.

From July 11 to October 31, Navitas Systems Inc. will terminate 82 employees because of a facility closure from reduced work. East Penn Manufacturing Co., Navitas Systems’ parent company, is a prominent lead battery manufacturer, while Navitas specializes in lithium-ion batteries.  Lead batteries are generally less expensive than lithium-ion batteries. However, lithium batteries are often seen as a better long-term investment when compared to lead batteries because of their reduced weight, longer run time, and longer lifespan. Navitas Systems has three locations in Ann Arbor. East Penn has been vague about which of the three facilities will close, but has stated that at least one facility will remain in the city. Additionally, East Penn is consolidating to refocus Navitas Systems on its “Motive Power” product line, which makes battery packs for forklifts.  Navitas Systems also offered two other main product lines: “Military Battery Packs” and “Transportation Battery Packs” (the latter for cars and trucks).  With the reported reduction of work and East Penn’s restructuring around “Motive Power,” it is unclear how the remaining product lines will be sustained.

As fuel prices remain high ($4 for all grades as of July 20th, on average, in the U.S.), industries reliant on petroleum will feel additional pressure as they balance pricing with profitability.  The WARN notices issued by Rec Boat Holdings LLC for 239 impacted jobs, and those by Spirit Airlines for 643 impacted jobs, demonstrate how rising fuel prices can push already struggling firms into closure.

Four Winns has been manufacturing boats in Cadillac since its founding in 1975. The brand was acquired by Groupe Beneteau in 2014 through its purchase of Rec Boat Holdings LLC. Glastron and Scarab Jet Brands are also part of the Rec Boat Holdings portfolio; all brands were manufactured at the Cadillac facilities, from which Groupe Beneteau is now seeking to divest.  Both Groupe Beneteau and Rec Boat Holdings attributed this decision to increased fuel prices, which made the company even less profitable in an already weakened recreational boat market.  Beyond the gasoline required to transport and operate a recreational boat, petroleum is also an essential input in the manufacturing process, leaving Rec Boat Holdings especially vulnerable to an increase in fuel prices. Some of the jobs affected by the WARN notice will remain until the end of the year so employees can prepare the facilities for a potential buyer.

Spirit Airlines issued a permanent layoff notice for all its locations on May 2, affecting 643 jobs at the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) and thousands nationwide.  At that time, the airline ceased all operations, stating that the decision was driven by “the recent dramatic and sustained deterioration in business conditions—primarily the material and sustained run up in fuel prices.”  However, Spirit had had a long history of financial struggles prior to the increase in fuel prices. First, legacy airlines began offering lower base fares, like Spirit, but sweetened them with more enticing loyalty programs during a period of lower-than-average ticket prices in 2023--2024.  This stripped Spirit of its low-cost advantage—the thing that defined its business model—and further tightened its already thin profit margins.

Second, COVID left the company with billions of dollars of debt from rising operating costs.  And third, the company experienced issues with its Pratt and Whitney engines that grounded its aircraft for months at a time, starting in 2023.  Engines manufactured between October 2015 and September 2021 were subject to metal impurities which could lead to cracks. (This last factor also impacted airlines other than Spirit.)  These problems piled up as Spirit attempted to sell to JetBlue in 2023 (but was blocked by a federal judge), filed for bankruptcy twice in 2024, and failed to secure a bailout from the Trump administration earlier this year.  A crew of 130 to 150 employees will remain with the company to help oversee the liquidation process, primarily of aircraft (although about 83 percent of Spirit’s fleet was leased) and spare engines.

Daifuku Services America Corporation also issued a layoff at DTW for 49 jobs, citing a reduction in work. Daifuku engineers, manufacturers, and services automated material-handling solutions (conveyors, picking and sorting, and automated guided vehicles). While the exact reason for the reduction in work was not stated, DTW contracted with a different division of Daifuku in 2024 to upgrade its checked-bag screening equipment. That contract was set to terminate upon final payment for required services.  In 2024, Daifuku issued layoffs across Texas, North Carolina, California, Maryland, Illinois, and Colorado, affecting 441 jobs. The series of layoffs was due to Amazon changing maintenance vendors. 

2026 Quarter One WARN Notices Report and Analysis

Since January 2026, there have been 4 WARN notices issued for companies located within Prosperity Region 8, impacting 400 jobs. These notices include 160 jobs from Grouper Acquisition Company in Comstock that commenced on March 31 (as mentioned in the 2025 report), and 240 jobs from Compass Group USA across three sites in the region. Compass Group USA also issued WARN notices for 136 additional jobs at locations outside of Prosperity Region 8, specifically Allegan, Plainwell, and Madison Heights. In total, 376 jobs will be impacted by the Compass Group layoffs, which will commence on July 1, 2026. In 2025, Compass Group USA originally announced 244 layoffs that were scheduled to take place on July 1 of that year due to Beacon Health’s acquisition of Ascension Borgess. However, those layoffs never occurred because Beacon Health worked with Compass Group USA and established a service agreement for one year. Now that the one-year service agreement extension is soon to expire, Beacon Health is moving its nutritional, environmental, and transport services in-house for the affected locations. Beacon Health is encouraging former Compass Group USA employees to apply for positions through Beacon’s standard hiring process, but it is unclear how Beacon Health will minimize staffing disruptions or if every position eliminated from Compass Group USA will have a replacement under Beacon Health. 

Continued Disruptions in the Electric Vehicle Market

During 2025, there were 25 WARN notices issued for manufacturers in the automotive industry (NAICS 31-33) in Michigan. At least 7 of these WARN notices cited tariffs or a general downturn in the U.S. market as contributing factors, specifically a slowdown in EV adoption and customer demand. This slowdown has continued to have lasting effects into 2026 as EV-related manufacturers in Michigan continue to restructure and lay off workers. Meanwhile, Americans are facing an increase in gas prices (Chart 1), while the new EV market in China and the EU continues to grow.

Our Next Energy (ONE) announced a layoff of 29 workers from their Novi location, stating: “Our largest EV customer suddenly and unexpectedly cancelled its contract with the Company.” This layoff follows ONE’s workforce reduction by 128 individuals in 2023. Additionally, ONE has received multiple incentive packages from Michigan since its inception in 2020. These incentives included $200 million from a SOAR grant, $15 million from a Jobs for Michigan Investment Fund loan, and a state essential services assessment exemption valued at $21.6 million. Michigan’s $236.6 million incentive package was awarded primarily to support ONE’s $1.6 billion ONE Circle battery campus in Van Buren Township (Wayne County), although state records indicate part of the SOAR funding also contemplated related capital upgrades at the company’s Novi headquarters. As of March 17, 2026, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation has stated that ONE remains in good standing for their repayments toward the Michigan Investment Fund loan, and the performance-based SOAR grant is paused under the current agreement. The SOAR grant was tied to ONE’s commitment to create 2,112 new jobs and invest $1.6 billion; it is unclear if ONE will be able to hit their originally stated job numbers, considering their current restructuring and layoffs. Since the most recent layoff, ONE has transitioned away from automotive EVs to rail and defense customers (securing over $35 million in new purchase orders), and the Van Buren and Novi facilities have finished retooling and are staffed and operational. 

Three other vehicle-related manufacturers in Michigan have announced layoffs that could further disrupt the EV market. At the end of February, Pace Industries announced that it was closing two of its three facilities in Muskegon on April 25 (affecting 145 jobs), listing company restructuring as their reason for the action. Pace Industries is one of America’s largest full-service die-casting manufacturers; the company produces precision metal components used in a variety of industries, including automotive, aerospace, and consumer products. For the automotive industry specifically, Pace Industries does “casting and engineered solutions for e-mobility vehicle and motorcycle needs.” In the official state filings, Pace Industries did not detail why the restructuring is taking place, but the two facilities scheduled to close supply automotive manufacturing and are described as “high-volume diecasting operations, with machining and finishing capabilities too, to supply automotive and recreational vehicle manufacturing,” while the facility that will remain open focuses on “rotary and reverberatory furnaces for processing secondary aluminum from scrap, turnings, and furnace byproducts.” Pace Industries has also announced closures of two other facilities in Arkansas and Tennessee.

Following the Pace Industries closures, Trystar LLC has also announced a facility closure due to a transfer of operations scheduled to start on September 4 that will affect 71 jobs. Trystar designs, engineers, and manufactures customizable electrical power solutions for diverse market sectors, including data centers, utilities, entertainment, education, government, health care, and commercial buildings. While Trystar does not directly supply components for the assembly of EVs, the company does recognize that EVs are a market driver for their business, and they offer portable power solutions that could charge EVs. However, at this time it is unclear what caused Trystar to initiate the transfer of operations, and ultimate closure, of their operation in Troy. 

First Brands Group is an automotive aftermarket parts manufacturer headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, that includes such brands as FRAM (filters), Autolite (spark plugs and ignition wire sets), and Trico (windshield wipers). In September 2025 the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and began to successfully sell off some assets while winding down business activity, which initially saved some of their former employees from layoffs. Since then, the company has been in legal and financial turmoil, and its top executives are facing federal fraud charges. This has resulted in thousands of potential layoffs in Ohio, Illinois, Tennessee, Indiana, and Michigan since late 2025. First Brand Group has been unsuccessful in a broad sale of the company and has moved toward an asset-by-asset sale. The company was attempting to sell units while they were still operating, but potential bidders pulled out as orders and the cash needed to keep businesses open dried up. This is when First Brand Group submitted a WARN notice for the Rochester Hills location, affecting 41 positions between February and May of 2026. On April 16, Premium Guard Inc. (PGI) acquired “a broad portfolio of patents, engineering know-how, and technical capabilities across multiple product categories, including wiper blades, spark plugs, and lift support.” PGI’s acquisition appears to be limited to intellectual property and related assets that do not include resuming operations and employment. 

“Enrollment Cliff” Catalyzes University and College Restructurings

The “enrollment cliff” has been discussed and understood by researchers and higher education institutions for nearly half a century. Higher education institutions within Michigan are facing the consequences of this decline, along with a reduction in the share of high school graduates who go to college, as seen by closures and restructurings over the past three years. Most recently, Siena Heights University announced that it will permanently close at the end of the 2025–2026 academic year, resulting in 132 layoffs. The long-term nature of the enrollment cliff is reinforced by Michigan’s population projections (Chart 2). Although the severity of the enrollment deficit varies on the size, prestige, and ownership structure of the institution, Michigan’s R1 research universities have continued to experience steady enrollment (Chart 3). R1 and other highly selective institutions also tend to have larger shares of international students and greater access to research funding and other revenue sources. Many remaining higher education institutions, particularly smaller private colleges, lack these additional streams of income. Higher education institutions have responded to enrollment and funding challenges with a variety of approaches and strategies that include increasing tuition, increasing endowment withdrawals, cutting courses and budgets, selling properties, consolidating departments, and merging with other institutions. 

Colleges and universities are often a source of good-paying, steady jobs. According to the OES, as of May 2024, colleges and universities paid 13 out of the 22 major occupation groups higher median annual wages than all other industries combined. This difference is especially prominent for Service Occupations (SOC 31-39) and Educational Instruction and Library Occupations (SOC 25). 

An updated version of this data will be published quarterly.

It is important to note that the rules governing WARN notices can be complicated, as there are exceptions to the Federal WARN Act. Employers are covered under WARN if they have 100 or more employees, not counting employees who have worked less than 6 months in the last 12 months, and not counting employees who work an average of less than 20 hours a week. For more details, please reference the WARN Fact Sheet.