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Scott Walker, Governor
Raymond Allen, Secretary

Department of Workforce Development
Secretary's Office
201 E. Washington Avenue
P.O. Box 7946
Madison, WI 53707-7946
Telephone: (608) 266-3131
Fax: (608) 266-1784
Email: sec@dwd.wisconsin.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, June 7, 2018
CONTACT: DWD Communications, 608-266-2722
On the Web: http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/news/
On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WIWorkforce
On Twitter: @WIWorkforce

BLS Data: Wisconsin Ranks 14th in Nation for Private Sector Average Weekly Wage Growth Since 2010

SConstruction wages up 50 percent since Dec. 2010, manufacturing up 15.4 percent over same period

MADISON – Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Ray Allen release the following statement on today's release of Quarterly Census of Employment and Wage QCEW) Data by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showing Wisconsin ranked 14th in the nation for average private sector weekly wage growth since Governor Walker took office:

"Wisconsin's all-time low unemployment rate of 2.8 percent and robust business climate is providing an upward push on wages in family supporting sectors such as construction, manufacturing," Secretary Allen said. "From Dec. 2016 to Dec. 2017, total quarterly wages grew by 7.5 percent in Wisconsin's construction sector and 5.5 percent in Wisconsin's manufacturing sector, underscoring the family-supporting opportunities these core sectors of Wisconsin's economy provide. Wisconsin has added private sector jobs for seven straight years, and now workers are reaping the rewards of Wisconsin's open for business economy."

According to today's release:

Wisconsin ranked 11th nationally in year over year percent construction job growth and 13th since December 2010
Construction wages in Wisconsin have grown by over 50 percent since December 2010
Manufacturing wages have grown by over 15 percent since December 2010
Private sector wages have grown by over 25 percent since December 2010
Wisconsin ranks 7th nationally in number of manufacturing jobs added from December 2016 to December 2017, and 11th since December 2010

Other key indicators of the strength of Wisconsin's economy include:

According to monthly data, Wisconsin added 13,700 manufacturing jobs from April 2017 to April 2018, ranking 2nd nationally.
Wisconsin's record low unemployment rate of 2.8 percent in April 2018 ranks 5th lowest nationally and is tied for 1st in the Midwest.
Wisconsin's April 2018 labor force participation rate of 68.9 percent in ranks 5th nationally.
Initial UI claims ended 2017 at their lowest level in the last 30 years.
Continuing unemployment claims ended 2017 at their lowest level since 1973.
Moody's investor Service recently upgraded the state's credit rating, nothing that "(T)he stable outlook reflects the expectation that the state will experience moderate economic growth and will continue its prudent fiscal management practices."