TUE AM News: State of Working Wisconsin report highlights ‘fragile moment’ for state economy; Wied touting cybersecurity bill

September 8, 2026

— The latest State of Working Wisconsin report highlights “a fragile moment in the economy” as record-high wages are offset by rising inflation and faltering job growth.

The report, now in its 30th year, was created by the High Road Strategy Center, a UW-Madison think tank formerly named the Center on Wisconsin Strategy.

Report author Laura Dresser says the latest report “still shows some very bright spots, but the clouds are gathering on the economic horizon.”

Wisconsin’s inflation-adjusted median wage reached a record high of $26.17 per hour in 2025, rising from about $24 per hour in 2022, the report shows. Dresser calls this “very good news” for workers, noting wages are the clearest measure of job quality in the state.

But while wage data for this year aren’t yet available, “the signs there are troubling,” wrote Dresser, the center’s associate director.

“Inflation has risen, and wage gains have been weaker,” she wrote. “As it did in 2022, inflation could wipe out the wage gains of 2026. The median wage provides an aggregate picture but cannot illuminate deep and shifting gaps by race, gender, ethnicity, and education.”

The median wage for men in Wisconsin was $28.25 per hour last year, more than $4 more than women’s median of $24.24.

Among groups broken down by race, ethnicity and gender, white men had the highest wages with $29.37 per hour. That’s followed by $24.92 for white women, $24.04 for Black men, $20.67 for Black women, $19.96 for Hispanic men and $18.99 for Hispanic women.

Meanwhile, the state’s job market “has gone flat” since late 2024 after four years of steady job growth led to the state’s record high of 3,051,000 jobs in November 2024. That’s fallen to 3,042,900 in July.

“Wisconsin’s economy has grown slowly relative to the national economy for years, and now job growth has ground to a halt,” Dresser wrote.

And though the state’s unemployment rate remains low at 3.3%, it has risen from the “unprecedented” low of 2.6% in early 2023.

“With the state losing jobs, it is likely that the rate will continue to rise,” Dresser wrote. “If unemployment climbs further, workers will lose leverage.”

The report also spotlights “much more” rapid increases in unemployment among Black Wisconsinites. This compounds existing disparities in the state.

In the first quarter of this year, the unemployment rate for white residents was 2.3% — well below the rate for Black residents, which had risen to 7.2% at that point. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders came in at 2.9%, while Hispanic residents had a higher rate at 4.1%.

Between 2024 and 2025, white and AAPI Wisconsinites had no change in their unemployment rate but Black residents saw unemployment jump by 0.9 percentage points. Over the same period, Hispanic residents saw a decline of 0.1 percentage points.

“It is disturbing to see this resurgence in Black-white disparity in Wisconsin,” Dresser wrote. “The Wisconsin disparity in Q1 2026 was the highest Black-white disparity in the nation.”

Another section of the report highlights the state’s declining unionization rate, which has dropped from 22% in 1989 to 7.5% in 2025. While the national rate has fallen over the same period, it’s been a less steep decline, going from 20% to 11.2%.

On a more recent timeframe, the state-level change is more dramatic. Wisconsin’s unionization was cut in half between 2011 and 2025, from 14% to 7.5%. By comparison, the national rate dipped from 13% to 11% over the same period.

“Wisconsin’s union rates are collapsing as national unionization rates and the rates in neighboring states have fallen less rapidly,” Dresser wrote.

See the report.

— U.S. Rep. Tony Wied is touting federal legislation that he says would “provide much-needed clarity” to small businesses navigating cybersecurity concerns.

The Republican congressman, who represents the state’s 8th CD, is promoting the The Cybersecurity for Small Businesses Act as a way to force government agencies to do more to help companies with cybersecurity.

“In today’s rapidly evolving digital world, it is critical for small businesses to maintain the highest-quality and most up-to-date cybersecurity infrastructure,” Wied said in a release. “However, small businesses shouldn’t be forced to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to obtain a level of cybersecurity they don’t need simply because Washington has failed to provide clear rules.”

Under the legislation, the U.S. Small Business Administration would be required to work with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to provide information on cybersecurity best practices to small businesses, according to Wied’s office.

The SBA would also be required to work with the head of the Department of Defense to provide information on cybersecurity requirements for the agency’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification for defense contractors. And the bill would create new related reporting requirements.

While the SBA’s website does provide information on cybersecurity for businesses, Wied’s office says it may not reflect “best-practice recommendations” from other agencies, creating vulnerabilities.

Wied’s release also says the SBA lacks details on complying with the Department of Defense cybersecurity certification, and many small businesses “were forced to spend upwards of hundreds of thousands of dollars” to comply with requirements that might not have been necessary.

See the bill text.

See the release.

— Sen. Brad Pfaff said Democrats must focus on “bread and butter affordability issues” in order to unite and win in the November election as he hosted numerous candidates at his annual corn roast at the La Crosse County Fairgrounds.

“I think that is front and center,” the Onalaska Dem said on WISN 12’s “UpFront,” which is produced in partnership with WisPolitics. “One thing that Rep. (Francesca) Hong, she did capture a lot of attention obviously when we heard about Thanksgiving and things like that, but I really think the underlying message was the wealth inequality and the economic concerns that are taking place here in Wisconsin.”

The corn roast, now in its 25th year, was first created by former U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse, and has continued under Pfaff, a former aide to the congressman.

This year’s event included appearances from David Crowley, Rebecca Cooke and Ben Wikler, all urging a message of unity after the fractured primary for governor.

See more coverage.

Top headlines from the Healthcare Report…

— While Wisconsin’s kindergarten vaccination rates against measles, mumps and rubella saw a slight uptick for the latest school year, state health officials say they’re still too low to keep children safe.

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.

He has a big dream. Nobody at City Hall is buying it.

Carrie Lane spent 32 days helping Menasha. Despite a move, she’s not done yet

TOPICS

ADVERTISING

– Milwaukee-based private aviation firm joins roster of Bucks sponsors

AGRIBUSINESS

– Warmer temperatures, spring frosts cause challenges for Wisconsin apple growers

CONSTRUCTION

– Reader asks if Mason Street bridge rebuild will be affected by Shipyard

ECONOMY

– Report: Job growth in Wisconsin has ‘ground to a halt’