Contact:
Ethnie Groves, Governor’s Office, 608-261-2156
State Adds More than 48,000 Jobs in Last Year;
Significant Growth in High-End Jobs
Governor Jim Doyle announced today that in the past 12
months, Wisconsin has again led the Upper Midwest in job growth,
according
to the most recent statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Wisconsin
has led the Upper Midwest in job growth for seven straight months.
“I’m proud that Wisconsin continues to have the best job
growth numbers in the Midwest,” Governor Doyle said. “It’s clear that
our
strategy of focusing on upgrading our industries and competing at the
high
end is working. We still have a lot of work to do, especially in our
manufacturing industry, but Wisconsin is headed in the right direction.”
Since July 2003, Wisconsin has added more than 48,000 jobs
(a 1.7 percent increase) – the highest numerical and percentage increase
in
the Midwest. While Wisconsin created more than 48,000 jobs, the rest of
the
Midwest combined lost more than 13,000 jobs. For example, Michigan lost
more than 54,000 jobs and Ohio lost more than 20,000 jobs. Illinois,
Indiana, and Minnesota added more than 17,000 jobs, while Iowa added more
than 8,000 jobs. The July 2004 data released by the U.S. Department of
Labor is preliminary and not seasonally adjusted.
In particular, Wisconsin’s growth in high-wage industries
outpaced many other states. Wisconsin added more than 16,000 jobs in the
professional and business sector and more than 2,500 jobs in the
financial
activities sector.
“Through my Grow Wisconsin plan, we have worked hard to
strengthen all sectors of our economy, and position Wisconsin to compete
at
the high end,” the Governor said. “Wisconsin will continue to do well if
we
focus on what we do best – make the best products found anywhere in the
world with the best trained, best educated workers in the world.”
Governor Doyle has signed the vast majority of bills
called
for under “Grow Wisconsin,” ranging from legislation to eliminate the tax
on
creating jobs to the most aggressive regulatory reform policy in the
Midwest
to a measure to expand access to venture capital.
While neighboring Midwest states continue to lose
manufacturing jobs, Wisconsin added about 12,000 manufacturing jobs in
the
last year – more than any other state in the Midwest. In comparison,
Minnesota added more than 8,000 manufacturing jobs, Iowa added more than
2,000 manufacturing jobs, and Indiana added just under 1,000
manufacturing
jobs.
Other Midwest states continue to lose manufacturing jobs,
with Michigan losing more than 30,000 manufacturing jobs, Ohio losing
more
than 12,000 manufacturing jobs, and Illinois losing more than 4,000
manufacturing jobs.
“We have put our manufacturing industry back on the right
track, but we are not out of the woods yet,” Governor Doyle said. “We
still
have a lot of work to do, and we will continue to focus on job creation
and
moving our economy forward.”
View the full U.S. Department of Labor report here:
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.t06.htm
