WED AM News: UW think tank report slams state’s ‘paltry’ minimum wage; WPF research director underlines healthcare’s role in job creation

June 17, 2026

— A UW-Madison think tank has issued a report criticizing Wisconsin’s “paltry” minimum wage, and called for boosting it to $20 by 2030 to benefit more than a fourth of all workers in the state.

The High Road Strategy Center, which describes itself as a think-and-do tank, this week rolled out an updated version of its “Can’t Survive on $7.25” report.

It notes the state’s minimum wage hasn’t risen from that hourly amount since 2009, even as inflation has reduced its purchasing power by nearly a third since then. If it had kept up with inflation, the minimum wage would be $10.60 per hour in 2026.

At the state’s current rate, minimum wage employees working full-time earn less than $15,000 for the year.

“Wisconsin’s paltry minimum wage standard has no credibility as a living wage,” report authors wrote. “High profits posted by firms with many low-wage workers add insult to injury.”

Neighboring states generally have higher wages for low-income workers, the report shows, ranging from $15 in Illinois to $13.73 in Michigan and $11.41 in Minnesota. Only Iowa has the same minimum wage, but its tipped wage of $4.35 per hour exceeds Wisconsin’s tipped wage of $2.33 per hour.

Report authors are calling for boosting the state’s minimum wage to $20 by 2030, which would increase wages for 27% of workers in the state or more than 730,000 people.

Of that total, 458,800 are workers that currently earn less and would get a direct pay bump from the change, while the other 277,700 workers included in the total would get higher wages indirectly as pay scales adjusted to the new minimum.

Authors also note the change would be “much more meaningful” for certain demographic groups, as 33% of women would get higher wages compared to 21% of men. Nearly half of Black or Hispanic workers would see their wages increase, nearly twice the share of white workers.

The report also references the “Fight for $15” effort that emerged in 2012, noting it was initially dismissed by policymakers and economists at the time.

“But workers knew they couldn’t survive in jobs with low wages, volatile and insufficient hours, and no paid time off,” authors wrote. “Their demands are changing pay in low-wage jobs.”

See the release.

See the full report.

— The research director for the Wisconsin Policy Forum says healthcare is “far and away” the most important sector in the state for driving small business job growth.

Joe Peterangelo was the featured speaker at yesterday’s Milwaukee Rotary Club meeting, where he highlighted some of the latest research insights from the forum.

He noted Wisconsin’s healthcare and social assistance sector eclipsed all others for job growth over a recent study period, captured in the forum’s “Small Business, Big Stakes” report issued late last month.

Between 2010 and 2024, small healthcare establishments in Wisconsin added 38,640 jobs, making up 65% of net growth for private businesses in the state with 500 or fewer employees.

The second-largest category for this measure, encompassing professional, scientific and technical services, added 11,249 jobs over the same period. After an unmarked category labeled “unknown” with 9,109 jobs added, the next largest was manufacturing with 7,913 jobs added.

New establishments — including clinics, home health services, behavioral health services, specialized and outpatient care — made up about 70% of all healthcare job gains during this study period, according to the report. Existing businesses expanding made up the other 30% of that growth.

“Healthcare has been far and away the most critical sector to small business job growth,” Peterangelo said, adding “we’ve seen some declines in other sectors, but healthcare has been really key.”

He argued workforce development efforts should focus on key sectors for the state, referencing both manufacturing and healthcare.

“Those are both key areas to continue to focus our workforce development strategies on, and then as well, having that focus on the professional, scientific, technical services and information, which are where a lot of the tech jobs are,” he said.

See the report.

See more coverage.

— WPS announced it has acquired California-based Mavida Health, which has an online therapy and psychiatry platform tailored for women.

The Madison company yesterday said the move represents “a significant step” in expanding its digital health offerings thanks to Mavida Health’s mental health expertise. WPS President and CEO Wendy Perkins says the acquisition will help the company expand its impact and better meet rising demand for these services.

“This acquisition reflects both our strategic vision for growth and our commitment to making a meaningful difference in people’s lives,” Perkins said in a statement.

Mavida Health was founded in 2023 by reproductive psychiatrist Dr. Sarah Oreck and co-founder Emma Sugerman to support women through various life transitions, including conception and pregnancy, postpartum challenges, pregnancy loss, as well as other conditions including menopause and perimenopause.

Oreck notes mental health for women is “inextricably tied” to their hormones but that connection has often been dismissed or ignored. In a statement on the acquisition, she notes women face “distinct neurobiological challenges” at different stages of life.

“These are serious, hormone-driven mental health conditions that demand specialized care. Mavida Health was founded to provide exactly that,” she said. “Joining WPS gives us the scale to reach more women and families, especially every woman who has ever been told her symptoms were normal when they weren’t.”

The company currently offers individual, group and couples therapy along with medical management, providing virtual care in California, New York, New Jersey and Texas. WPS says it will “work toward expanding” Mavida’s license into Wisconsin and weigh new offerings for its members.

Following the acquisition, Mavida will keep operating as an independent brand with a separate leadership team, helmed by current WPS Chief Growth Officer Rochelle Myers.

Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

See the release.

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.

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— Corn, soybean and oats are all trending ahead of the five-year average in Wisconsin, according to the latest USDA figures.

The agency’s National Agricultural Statistics Service recently issued its latest look at crop progress for the state, showing corn emergence was 93% complete as of Sunday, ahead of the average of 89%.

Meanwhile, soybean emergence was 91% complete, above the average of 85%. And oats were 97% emerged, compared to 92% on average.

NASS reports winter wheat fields in the state were 83% headed, exceeding the five-year average of 77%. The condition of winter wheat was rated 78% good to excellent, showing an improvement of 10 percentage points from the prior week.

Similar to the crop growth trends, the first cutting of alfalfa hay was 86% complete, ahead of the average of 80%.

See the report.

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