For immediate release
Contact: Bill G. Smith, 608-255-6083
NFIB urges lawmakers and the Governor to stay on course
Madison (March 8, 2012) – New data showing the lowest unemployment rate in Wisconsin in nearly four years confirms a sense among small business owners that things are moving in the right direction, said the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) today.
“The business climate in our state has improved markedly in the past two years,” said NFIB State Director Bill G. Smith. “Taxes are lower. The regulatory culture is better. Tort reform has made the legal climate more state and predictable.
“Small business owners in Wisconsin have good reasons to be more optimistic than their counterparts in many other states,” he continued.
According to the state Department of Workforce Development, Wisconsin’s unemployment rate in January of this year dropped to 6.9 percent, the lowest level since December of 2008.
The report shows a sharp increase in the number of private sector jobs between December 2011 and January 2012. Nearly 16,000 new jobs were created in that period, according to data, with strong performances in sectors typically dominated by small business.
“When you look at the figures for construction, professional and business services, retail and hospitality, you’re looking at small businesses creating jobs in Wisconsin,” said Smith. “It’s a very encouraging report and a sign that Madison is starting to do things right.”
The NFIB Small Business Economic Trends report, which measures small business optimism at the national level, has remained mostly flat in the past several months after several years of decline. Smith said that small businesses in Wisconsin appear to be creating jobs faster than they are on a national scale.
“I think it’s likely that Wisconsin is outperforming most of the country because of what we’ve done to improve the local business climate,” said Smith. “We’re not seeing this kind of job growth in every state. And we’re certainly not seeing it in states that have moved in the opposite direction, with higher taxes, more spending, more regulations and more uncertainty in civil justice.
“Wisconsin is on the right track and we need to keep our focus on small business growth,” he said.
For more information about NFIB, please visit www.nfib.com/wisconsin.
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