>> THANK YOU.
>> IF YOU PAY PEOPLE OVER $17 AN
HOUR TAX-FREE TO STAY HOME AND
NOT WORK, THERE ARE GOING TO BE
FEWER PEOPLE WORKING.
IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE.
>> BECAUSE HE SAID IT'S KEEPING
PEOPLE FROM TAKING A JOB,
ASSEMBLY SPEAKER ROBIN VOS
WANTED TO END THE $300 A WEEK
UNEMPLOYMENT PAYMENT, BUT
REPUBLICANS FAILED TO GET ENOUGH
VOTES TO OVERRIDE GOVERNOR
EVERS' VETO TO DO THAT.
IS IT A DISINCENTIVE TO WORK?
TO THAT QUESTION WE TURN TO
LABOR ECONOMIST AND ASSOCIATE
DIRECTOR OF WISCONSIN OF
WISCONSIN STRATEGY, LAURA
DRESSER.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> STUDIES SAY THE ENHANCED
UNEMPLOYMENT ONLY RESULTS IN A
SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE TAKING
BENEFITS OVER TAKING A JOB, BUT
IT DOES STILL SEEM INTUITIVE
THAT IF THE BENEFITS ARE BETTER
THAN WHATEVER JOB YOU LOST, WHY
WOULDN'T A PERSON STAY HOME?
>> I MEAN, I THINK IF YOU'RE
JUST GOING TO HOLD THAT UP, YOU
CAN GET A JOB OR YOU CAN GET
THESE BENEFITS, YOU CAN KIND OF
SEE THAT.
AND THAT'S WHY I THINK THE
STUDIES FIND A VERY SMALL
IMPACT.
BUT IT'S A VERY SMALL IMPACT.
WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON IS WE
JUST HAD A ONCE IN A CENTURY, WE
HOPE, PANDEMIC.
OUR LABOR, WE CONTRACTED
DRAMATICALLY AND THE NUMBER OF
JOBS WE HAVE TODAY IS STILL
100,000 FEWER THAN WE DID IN
FEBRUARY, 2020.
AND SO THE -- AND WE'VE ALL
FACED INCREDIBLE CHOICES ABOUT
WORK AND OUR FAMILIES AND OUR
HEALTH.
AND WE ARE ALL FIGURING THAT
OUT.
I THINK ALL THAT IS GOING ON.
THE UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE
BENEFIT, THE INCREASE TO THAT
LITERALLY HELPED PEOPLE STAY IN
THEIR HOMES, LITERALLY HELPED
PEOPLE KEEP FOOD ON THEIR
TABLES.
IT STILL IS DOING THAT WORK THAT
IS SO IMPORTANT.
AND TO ACT AS IF -- THAT IF WE
TAKE THAT MONEY AWAY, THAT WILL
BRING A FLOOD TO THIS LABOR
MARKET, WHICH THERE HAVE BEEN
LONGSTANDING SHRINKAGE, I THINK
THAT JUST MISPLACES WHAT THE
ISSUES, WHAT THE COMPLEXITY OF
THE ISSUES HOLDING PEOPLE A
LITTLE BIT AWAY FROM WORK THESE
DAYS IS.
>> YEAH.
BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW,
PEOPLE DESCRIBE OTHER
IMPEDIMENTS TO GOING BACK INTO
THE JOB FORCE, LIKE CHILD CARE,
TRANSPORTATION AND, AS YOU
MENTIONED STILL HEALTH CONCERNS
AND PERHAPS NOW INCREASING
HEALTH CONCERNS.
>> YES.
I MEAN, I THINK WE ALL WANT TO
PRETEND THAT -- MAYBE A MONTH
AGO WE ALL WANTED TO PRETEND
THIS IS OVER, NOW WE GET A NEW
THING.
BUT WE UNDERSTAND I THINK TODAY
BETTER THAN THEN THAT THIS IS A
DYNAMIC THING AND VARIANTS ARE
GOING TO CREATE NEW SITUATIONS.
AND IF WE'RE NOT ALL VACCINATED
OR EVEN IF WE ARE, VARIANTS MAY
CREATE THESE KINDS OF
SITUATIONS.
AND WHAT WORKERS WHO
CONSISTENTLY IN COMING INTO THIS
PANDEMIC, YOU KNOW, THE WORKERS
THAT HAVE FACED VERY VOLATILE
HOURS, VERY LOW WAGES AND NEVER
GET HEALTH INSURANCE THROUGH
THEIR JOBS.
YOU KNOW, HEALTH INSURANCE IS A
LOT MORE IMPORTANT NOW AND A
RESTAURANT JOB WHERE YOU'RE
EXPOSED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE AND
YOU NEVER GET HEALTH INSURANCE I
THINK LOOKS A LITTLE LESS
APPEALING.
>> SO EXPERIENTIALLY THOUGH
THERE DO SEEM TO BE SUPPLY CHAIN
PROBLEMS AND SERVICE AND
HOSPITALITY WORKER SHORTAGES.
IS THAT BECAUSE ALL THE FEDERAL
RELIEF BENEFITS ARE TOO
GENEROUS?
OR DO EMPLOYERS NEED TO DO
SOMETHING TO SORT OF ATTRACT AND
RETAIN PEOPLE?
>> I'D REALLY LOOK TO -- THERE
ISN'T ONE EXPERIENCE OF THE
EMPLOYERS IN THIS LABOR MARKET.
IT IS HARDER TO FIND WORKERS,
BUT THERE ARE EMPLOYERS THAT ARE
FINDING WORKERS.
THERE ARE EMPLOYERS THAT ATTEND
TO THEIR SCHEDULING PRACTICES.
THEIR WAGES ARE NOT ROCK BOTTOM.
THEY OFFER BENEFITS WHEN THEY
CAN.
AND THEN THE GOVERNMENT HAS A
ROLE TO REALLY MAKE A MASSIVE
INVESTMENT IN CHILD CARE, TO
MAKE IT ACCE ACCESSIBLE, AFFORDE
SO PEOPLE HAVE SUPPORTS TO MAKE
SURE THEIR KIDS ARE SAFE.
>> A LOT.