>> Colin Gillis: THANK YOU.
>> Frederica Freyberg: EVERY
YEAR FOR LABOR DAY, THE CENTER
ON WISCONSIN STRATEGY OR COWS AT
UW MADISON RELEASES ITS STATE OF
WORKING WISCONSIN.
PINPOINTING WHAT IS GOING ON IN
THE STATE LABOR MARKET.
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF COWS, AN
ECONOMIST, LAURA DRESSER IS HERE
WITH MORE ON THE REPORT.
HI, LAURA.
>> Laura Dresser: HI.
>> Frederica Freyberg: NEW U.S.
JOB NUMBERS CAME OUT TODAY
SHOWING JOB, SLOWING OF JOB
GROWTH, WOULD YOU EXPECT THAT IN
WISCONSIN AS WELL?
EVEN IF ONE OF YOUR KEY FINDINGS
IS THE GREAT RESIGNATION, AT
LEAST IN THIS STATE IS A MYTH?
>> Laura Dresser: YEAH, I THINK
WE HAVE SEEN 2022 HAS BEEN
DEFINED, I THINK, BY STEADY JOB
GROWTH AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL.
A LITTLE LESS ROBUST JOB GROWTH
IN WISCONSIN.
I THINK PEOPLE ARE RELIEVED TO
SEE THAT 300,000 NATIONAL
NUMBER.
WHICH IS SLOWER THAN THE
PROCEEDING MONTHS BUT IS STILL
SOLID LABOR-MARKET GROWTH.
>> Frederica Freyberg: LET'S GO
BACK TO THAT MYTH YOU CALL THE
GREAT RESIGNATION IN WISCONSIN.
WHY IS IT A MYTH?
>> Laura Dresser: I THINK PEOPLE
HAVE A SENSE, THE STORIES FROM
ABOUT A YEAR AGO GAVE PEOPLE A
SENSE THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF
PEOPLE THAT WERE LIKE, TAKE THIS
JOB AND I'M GOING TO GO LIVE ON
THE VAN LIFE AND DEVELOP AN
INSTAGRAM FOLLOWING GROUP OR
WHATEVER.
THERE WAS A LOT OF RETREAT FROM
WORK.
BUT WHAT THERE WAS, ACTUALLY,
AND IS CLEAR IN THE DATA, THAT
PEOPLE REALLY SAW OPPORTUNITY
AND THEY TOOK IT.
THEY LEFT JOBS.
AND THEY'VE MOVED UP AND THEY'VE
MOVED ON.
BUT WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE WORKING
IN THE STATE TODAY THAN WE DID
THE PERCENTAGE, THE MOST THAT
WE'VE EVER HAD PEOPLE WORKING IN
THE STATE IN MAY THIS YEAR.
WELL OVER 3 MILLION.
AND WE HAVE A HIGHER LABOR FORCE
PARTICIPATION RATE TODAY THAN WE
DID FEBRUARY 2020 COMING INTO
THE PANDEMIC.
AND SO ON THESE MEASURES, PEOPLE
ARE WORKING.
>> Frederica Freyberg: BUT WHAT
EXPLAINS THEM?
SHORTAGES OF WORKERERS IN
RESTAURANTS AND OTHER SERVICE
INDUSTRY THAT WE HEAR ABOUT ALL
THE TIME?
>> Laura Dresser: WE CAN SEE HOW
TIGHT THE LABOR MARKET IS.
HOW MUCH DEMAND THERE IS FOR
WORKERS.
AND I THINK WHAT WE SEE IS
WORKERS ARE ABLE TO SEE THAT
OPPORTUNITY AND MAKE SOMETHING
OF THAT OPPORTUNITY.
EITHER BY LEAVING AND GOING TO
GET A NEW JOB OR STAYING ON THE
JOB THEY HAVE AND IMPROVING IT
BY ASKING FOR HIGHER WAGES.
BUT IT MEANS THAT THE LOWER WAGE
INDUSTRIES, ESPECIALLY, HAVE
EVIDENT JOB OPENINGS.
AND I THINK PEOPLE FOUND WORK
OTHER PLACES AND THAT MEANS THAT
RESTAURANTS ARE THINKING ABOUT
HOW THEY RESTRUCTURE THAT WORK
TO MAKE IT APPEALING.
>> Frederica Freyberg: SO YOU
ALSO SHOW THAT WAGES ARE UP IN
WISCONSIN.
UP AT HISTORIC LEVELS.
WHAT'S THAT ABOUT?
>> Laura Dresser: YEAH, I THINK
WE HAVE SEEN PRETTY SOLID WAGE
GROWTH FROM 2018 TO 2021.
OUR WAGE DATA IS ALWAYS
INFLATION ADJUSTED.
SO EXPRESSED IN CURRENT DOLLARS.
NEXT YEAR I THINK INFLATION WILL
CHANGE THE PICTURE
SUBSTANTIALLY.
BUT COMING INTO 2021, WHICH IS
THE MOST RECENT AVAILABLE, WE
ARE UP ABOUT $21.50 AN HOUR
WHICH IS THE MEDIAN WAGE.
WHICH IS $2 UP FROM 2018 AND
$1.50 AN HOUR.
THAT KIND OF GROWTH WE HAVEN'T
SEEN SINCE THE LATE '90s.
>> Frederica Freyberg: I'M NOT
SURE WE HAVE THE TIME TO TALK
ABOUT IT HERE, BUT THERE ARE
DISPARITIES IN THAT.
>> Laura Dresser: ABSOLUTELY.
AND ALWAYS IN THIS ECONOMY.
EVEN WHEN THERE IS GOOD NEWS.
GOOD NEWS ISN'T ALWAYS BROADLY
SHARED.
AND THAT IS DEFINITELY, YOU CAN
FIND THAT ON THE REPORT.
>> Frederica Freyberg: THE
NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
REPORTS A 56% INCREASE IN
PETITIONS FOR UNION ELECTIONS.
HOW IS THE TIGHT LABOR MARKET
CHANGED LABOR ORGANIZING IN
WISCONSIN?
WE JUST SPOKE WITH A MEMBER OF
THE NURSES UNION AT UW HOSPITAL.
HOW IS THAT CHANGING?
>> Laura Dresser: I THINK THAT
WHAT I THINK OF THE NATIONAL
LABOR RELATIONS DATA IS THE KIND
OF MOST FORMAL, MOST ORGANIZED
VERSION OF SEEING WHAT WORKERS
ARE DOING WITH WORK.
AND I THINK THE WAGE DATA AND
THE TURNOVER DATA AND THE JOB
OPENINGS REALLY SHOWS THAT
WORKERS SEE OPPORTUNITY RIGHT
NOW AND IN INDIVIDUAL AND
COLLECTIVE WAYS, YOU KNOW, AND
FORMAL AND INFORMAL WAYS THEY
ARE ASKING FOR MORE.
AND THE MOST COLLECTIVE AND
FORMAL WAY IS TO MOVE TO A
PROCESS AND THAT IS WHAT WE SEE
MORE OF IN THE STATE AS WELL.