By Brian E. Clark
RISING
High-tech industry
The Badger State’s high-tech industry added 1,600 jobs in 2006 to reach
a total of 81,400, 21st in the nation, according to a new report by the
American Electronics Association, the nation’s largest technology trade
association.
The 2006 data was the most current available for Wisconsin, AEA said in
releasing its 11th annual “Cyberstates” report. The group doesn’t cover
biotech, a strength for Wisconsin, particularly the Madison area.
State high-tech workers earned an average wage of $60,100 in 2006, 65
percent more than Wisconsin’s average private sector wage and 34th
highest in the country. Nationally, the average high-tech industry wage
is 87 percent higher than the average private sector wage.
MIXED
Workers comp
The average workers compensation total cost per claim in Wisconsin grew
rapidly from 2000 through 2005, according to a recent study, but
remained among the lowest of the 14 states reviewed.
The report by the Workers Compensation Research Institute showed that
claims increased in four of the five years in the study, fueled
primarily by an increase in medical payments per claim.
On nearly all measures examined in the study, Wisconsin was lower than
typical, according to the study. An exception was that medical costs
per claim with more than seven days of lost time were fairly typical
for 2003/2006 claims.
According to another WCRI study, Wisconsin had the highest average
prices paid among the study states, but this was offset by lower
utilization of medical services.
FALLING
Skyway Airlines
Midwest Airlines officially cut about 380 jobs from subsidiary Skyway
Airlines this weekend, a move Midwest warned of in January.
Skyway once flew regional flights for the Milwaukee company under a
service called Midwest Connect. Those flights are being turned over to
SkyWest Airlines, based in St. George, Utah.
The Skyway company will still exist. Remaining employees will handle
catering and other services for Midwest. Skyway gave severance packages
to its flight attendants, dispatchers and mechanics, but pilots got
zip.
The pilots allege that Skyway is denying them payments because of their
union membership. Midwest officials say their contract with the pilots
didn’t call for severance pay so Midwest isn’t providing it.
