The Blade's investigation Shut Down & Shipped Out found more than 170 factories have closed in the last decade in the Toledo area, throwing more than 21,000 workers out of their jobs.
This trend is as much a cause as it is an effect of the recession that has devastated Main Streets everywhere.
The three-part series is based on a database of factory closings in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan compiled by Blade Projects Editor Joe Vardon.
On this blog, workers affected by these closings describe the events at their workplaces and share their feelings on what it was like to become unemployed.
Tell your story by submitting a comment below.
Were you or someone in your household laid off? Did your company move out of the state? Out of the country? Did it just close its doors for good?
How long did you work there? How much did you enjoy your job? Have you been able to find work elsewhere?
What was the effect on your family? On your finances? On your outlook for your future?
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