Gov. Doyle: Wisconsin Leads Midwest in Job Growth, Again

Contact:
Ethnie Groves, Office of the Governor, 608-261-2156

“Grow Wisconsin” Plan Working to Create High End Jobs

Governor Jim Doyle announced today that in the past 12
months, Wisconsin has experienced the most employment growth in the Midwest,
according to statistics recently released by the United States Department of
Labor.

“In May, I announced that Wisconsin employment growth led
the Midwest and I’m pleased that Wisconsin is again leading the way,”
Governor Doyle said. “Our strategy of focusing on upgrading our industries
and competing at the high end is making an impact. We still have more to do,
and there are still troubling signs in the national economy, but it is clear
Wisconsin is making progress.”

Since May 2003, Wisconsin has added 36,400 jobs – a 1.3
percent increase and the highest numerical and percentage increase in the
Midwest. Comparatively, Minnesota added 25,700 jobs (1 percent increase),
and Indiana added 10,800 jobs (.4 percent increase), while Illinois lost
19,100 jobs (.3 percent decrease), and Michigan lost 28,300 jobs (.6 percent
decrease).

“Once again, Wisconsin is leading the Midwest in job
creation,” Governor Doyle said. “This is just one more sign that our
efforts here on the state level to balance the budget without tax increases
and invest in workers and businesses is paying off. As I said in my State
of the State Address in January, we’re back on track, but we’re not out of
the woods yet. I will continue to work to get our economy moving again.”

In his first six months in office, Governor Doyle confronted
a $3.2 billion deficit – the largest fiscal crisis in Wisconsin history –
and kept his promise to balance the budget without raising any taxes. Since
that time, he has focused his energy on putting Wisconsin’s economy on track
to create new jobs. And he has delivered – signing important legislation
ranging from regulatory reform, to the single factor tax reform bill, to a
measure that expands access to venture capital.

In fact, the vast majority of the bills Governor Doyle
called for in his “Grow Wisconsin” plan last September have been signed into
law. They include:

* The most aggressive regulatory reform in the Midwest
* Venture capital legislation
* Financial Modernization
* Funding for Wisconsin’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership programs
* Single sales factor tax reform legislation
* Legislation to expand broadband and telecommunications services in
our state
* Expanding access to technology zone tax credits

View the full U.S. Department of Labor report here:
http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/metro.t02.htm