WED AM News: Marquette report points to ‘period of adjustment’ for Milwaukee’s economy; GOP bill would restrict non-competes for certain health care workers

November 5, 2025

— Milwaukee’s local labor market is showing signs of “beginning to cool down,” an economist with Marquette University says.

Nicholas Jolly, an associate professor of economics at the Milwaukee university, co-authored a report released yesterday detailing economic trends for the region and state.

The Economic Scorecard for Southeastern Wisconsin shows unemployment rates for both the state and the Milwaukee area are well below the national average — 3.2% and 3.7%, respectively, compared to the national rate of 4.5% for August. But Jolly points to data showing a downward trend for jobs in the region.

“When comparing monthly employment numbers from the same month in the previous year, non-farm employment has seen year-over-year declines since April 2025, and this trend is expected to continue through April 2026,” he said in a release.

Between June 2025 and April 2026, employment in the Milwaukee metropolitan area is projected to decline by about 6,054 jobs, according to the report. It shows non-farm employment in the area is expected to hit 861,546 by April 2026, which would be a slight increase of 2,946 jobs from April 2025.

“Relative to longer-run trends from earlier in the decade, non-farm payroll employment is expected to remain flat relative to levels seen since mid-2023,” report authors wrote.

Meanwhile, average hourly earnings are projected to increase but at a slower rate, Jolly notes. Average hourly earnings in the metro area are expected to rise “modestly” from $35.62 in April 2025 to $36.06 by April 2026, the report shows.

Authors say this trend points to a slowdown in growth and a more stable labor market, noting projected wages for April 2026 are lower than the latest local data from August.

“This moderation in wage growth may be driven by a cooling labor market and easing inflationary pressures,” they wrote. “Despite the deceleration, wage gains remain positive, signaling continued labor market resilience.”

Report co-author Grace Wang, a professor of economics and director of the university’s Center for Applied Economics, notes the recent slowdown follows several years of strong growth, indicating a “period of adjustment” for the region.

“Overall economic conditions remain stable, with wages rising modestly and inflation showing signs of restraint,” Wang said. “This environment calls for a focus on long-term resilience by supporting workforce development and helping local employers adapt to changing labor and housing market conditions.”

See the release and report.

— Legislation from Republican authors would curtail non-compete agreements for certain health care workers.

Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara of Appleton and Rep. Adam Neylon of Pewaukee recently began circulating a co-sponsorship memo for their legislation. They argue that restricting health care workers’ ability to practice “directly harms patients” by disrupting continuity of care and limiting provider choice.

“When a doctor or nurse is forced by a non-compete to relocate or wait months before working near their former practice, this creates immediate gaps in treatment, which are most devastating in rural and underserved areas, where the sudden loss of a specialist can instantly create a severe ‘care desert,’” they wrote.

Bill authors argue non-competes in health care can also deter medical professionals from moving to Wisconsin, worsening labor shortage concerns.

Under the bill, a non-compete clause that restricts working as a medical professional for more than 24 consecutive months after starting with the employer imposing the restriction would be deemed “illegal, void, and unenforceable,” according to the Legislative Reference Bureau. The same determination would be made for non-competes in cases where the health care worker is fired, LRB says.

These changes would apply to advanced practice registered nurses, advanced practice nurse prescribers, physicians, physician assistants and psychologists.

The memo notes the state already prevents lawyers from entering most non-compete agreements, referencing the Wisconsin Rules of Professional Conduct that prioritizes the “preeminent right” of clients to choose the lawyers that represent them.

“This standard demonstrates the state’s recognition that in professions where the public’s right to choice and access to essential services outweighs an employer’s interest in restricting practice, professional mobility must be protected,” authors wrote. “The same logic compellingly applies — and is arguably even more vital — in the context of patient care and public health.”

The co-sponsorship deadline is 3 p.m. tomorrow.

See the bill text.

For more of the most relevant health care news, reports on groundbreaking research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics and WisBusiness.com.

Sign up here.

— DATCP announced it is significantly dialing back a series of proposed fee increases on livestock markets, dealers and truckers, some of which were slated to go up by nearly 1,700%.

Instead, the agency said the revised fee proposal will amount to an inflationary adjustment for the more than 16 years since they were last increased.

The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection didn’t specify what the new proposed fee increases would be. Using an inflation calculator, adjusting the rates for inflation since 2008 would amount to an increase of roughly 50%.

DATCP Secretary Randy Romanski said the agency revised the fee proposal after public feedback.

“Wisconsin farmers and businesses rely on these animal health programs, and it’s important that DATCP work with the industry to find a sustainable way to fully fund them,” he said in a statement.

When DATCP rolled out the original proposal, the agency said it didn’t have adequate revenue to cover costs of the program as a justification for the proposed increases. The proposed increases included increasing the registration fee for an animal market class A license to $7,430 from the current $420. The license is for markets that conduct unlimited livestock and wild animal sales or auctions.

The fee increases were slated to kick in by the middle of fiscal year 2026-27 to fund animal health programs, food safety and inspections. The agency projected the fund would have a shortfall of nearly $1.2 million by the beginning of fiscal year 2026-27.

DATCP said in yesterday’s statement it will need additional state resources to cover program costs with the reduced fee proposal. The agency said it will post the revised fee increases before they’re presented at a future DATCP Board meeting for sign off.

The Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association, Wisconsin Pork Association, Dairy Business Association, Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association and Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association in a joint statement credited outreach from farmers, ranchers and stakeholders for DATCP changing course.

“As this process continues, it is essential that any fee structure reflects the financial realities of farmers and ranchers, while ensuring that critical health and food safety programs remain effective,” the groups said. “Exploring alternative funding sources, outside of fee increases, will be key to sustaining these vital programs without placing undue strain on the agricultural community.”

The move comes after Republicans recently circulated legislation aimed at shielding the livestock industry from the “massive” fee increases now being dialed back by DATCP.

See more in a recent related story.

— Harvest totals for the gun deer hunting season will likely be influenced by a number of factors this year, from greater access to food sources to a slightly later start date for opening weekend.

That’s according to Jeff Pritzl, deer specialist for the state Department of Natural Resources. Speaking during an online news conference yesterday, he previewed conditions that may affect the gun deer hunting season that runs Nov. 22-30 this year.

He noted the last two winters have been relatively mild, and results from this year’s earlier archery hunting season and youth firearm season in October bode well for adult gun hunters. He noted the youth hunt this year had one of the highest harvest totals in the state’s history.

“It would appear deer are out there on the landscape, and then coming off of two mild winters, it would suggest deer numbers should be a little higher in the north,” Pritzl said.

But at the same time, opening weekend this year is happening later in the rut, or deer breeding season, and Pritzl said that could affect hunter success.

“That late opener moves us a little further away from the peak … and we know that every day that we get further from the peak of the rut, which is essentially right now, we lose daytime deer movement activity,” he said. “There can be a noticeable difference between a gun season that has a later starting date versus an earlier starting date.”

Meanwhile, this year’s crop of wild acorns is more abundant than usual, Pritzl added. He said this factor could be a curse or a blessing for hunters, noting widespread food resources are good for deer populations but can also lead to less daytime deer movement.

He also noted early license sales numbers are looking promising, exceeding the number sold at this point last year. As of Oct. 31, year-to-date hunting license sales reached 463,983, including 137,394 gun hunting licenses, DNR figures show. Others include bow, crossbow, sports and patron licenses.

It’s too early to speculate about what’s driving possible trends in the number of hunters in the woods this fall, Pritzl added. Still, he raised the possibility of domestic meat prices influencing hunter behavior.

“So that will play out over the next couple of weeks, again, that week before the gun deer season, we’ll sell over 100,000 licenses,” he said. “So what happens that week will really determine whether or not license sale trends are up or down. They’ve actually been quite stable the last couple of years.”

Watch the video at WisconsinEye and see more in a DNR release.

— WARF’s UpStart entrepreneurship program for women and people of color is accepting applications for 2026 through this Friday.

The free eight-week program begins Tuesday, Jan. 20 and ends Tuesday, March 10. The classes are held from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery in Madison.

According to the website, UpStart connects participants to area professionals and helps them gain the skills needed to launch a business, establish strategic goals and identify next steps. Participants need to reside in or near Madison and surrounding communities, have a legal business idea and be supportive of an inclusive learning environment.

The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation created the program to support underserved residents of the Madison area.

Applications can be found here. See more at Madison Startups.

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