The State of Working Wisconsin 2024
Workers’ perspective on the Wisconsin economy.
In celebration of Wisconsin workers, the High Road Strategy Center released the State of Working Wisconsin 2024. Our report analyzes the most recent data available on wages, jobs, and unions, and, this year, provides a special feature on women workers. We have been releasing this report since 1996 to provide clear information on the economy as experienced by the working people of the state.
Workers have a lot to celebrate this year. Wisconsin jobs are reaching historic highs. Unemployment is steady near historic lows. Median wages surged in 2023, matching the fastest one-year increase dating back to 1979. Lower wage workers continue making faster wage gains than higher wage workers, so as wages rise, equality is growing as well. Taken together, this is a positive picture. Tight labor markets are increasing workers’ leverage at work, and lower wage workers – who fell behind all too frequently in the last 40 years – are making the most of this leverage.
But the picture is complex. Deep underlying inequality by gender, race, education, and geography continues to define opportunity in the state. Some gaps are shrinking but disparities remain pronounced. Despite increasing popular support for unions, unionization in Wisconsin is falling, and faster than neighboring states. And though women in Wisconsin have a long history of higher workforce participation than national rates, their relative advantage is shrinking.
State policy could support Wisconsin workers but falls short in important ways. Wisconsin’s anti-union policies make unionization harder than in neighboring states. Wisconsin’s minimum wage, which could provide a solid floor under work, remains frozen at $7.25. Wisconsin’s early care and education infrastructure leaves families struggling with costs, when they can find the care they need. Neighboring states are well ahead in each of these areas. Considering and following their example could solidify workers’ recent gains and create the policy framework for workers to thrive.
Key Working Wisconsin Facts
In June 2024, the state set a new record high for jobs: 3,048,000. From July 2023 – July 2024, Wisconsin added 25,700 jobs.
From 2022-23, the inflation adjusted median hourly wage increased by 97 cents. Since 1979 (the first year reliable data for state wages is available), the inflation adjusted median wage has increased by this much only twice: in 2019 and 2023.
In a reversal of trends for much of the last forty years, lower wage workers in Wisconsin experienced stronger wage growth than higher wage workers. The gap has been closing in the recovery from the pandemic shutdowns and has continued again this year.
The public perception of unions improved dramatically over 2011-23, but even so, Wisconsin’s unionization rate dropped by one-third (from 14 to 8.4 percent) over the same period. This decline outpaces the rate of deunionization of all neighboring states.
In 2023, the women’s median wage was $22.03 while men’s median was $25.09. At the median, women earn 88 cents for every dollar a man earns. This is Wisconsin’s gender wage gap. It is much smaller than in 1979 but remains significant, especially for Black and Hispanic women in the state.
State Policy for Working Wisconsin
Through unions, working people can negotiate for better wages and working conditions. Wisconsin state policy deters unionization in both the private and public sectors. Restoring union rights would help workers level the playing field in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin’s minimum wage is lower than nearly every state at our borders. More than 379,000 Wisconsin workers, disproportionately women workers, and disproportionately Black and Brown workers, would get a raise if the minimum wage moved from its current level of $7.25 to $15.
Wisconsin families struggle to find early care and education for their babies and toddlers. Continuing investments that began during the pandemic could support care providers, stabilize the sector, and provide relief for families and their employers.
Jobs
In 2024, Wisconsin’s job market reached new highs with low unemployment, boosting worker power. However, some sectors lag behind pre-pandemic levels, and disparities, especially for Black workers, persist.
Unions
Wisconsin’s union membership has sharply declined due to restrictive policies and “right to work” laws, increasing economic inequality. Efforts to revive unions are limited, and the drop is more severe than in neighboring states.
Wages
Wages rebounded in 2023, bringing Wisconsin’s median wage to the national average. Despite this, wages haven’t hit 2021 peaks, and disparities by race, gender, and education remain.
Women and Work
Wisconsin women’s wages have risen over 40 years, mainly among white women, but racial and ethnic wage gaps have widened. Raising the minimum wage and investing in early childhood care could benefit many women in the state.
Can’t Survive on $7.25: Higher Minimum Wages for Working Wisconsin
For 15 years, Wisconsin’s minimum wage has been stuck at the federal minimum level of $7.25, which has not been raised since 2009. A higher and well enforced minimum wage helps build a floor that allows workers, employers, and our communities to thrive. In this report, we offer a picture of who wins in Wisconsin with higher minimum wages and some reasons to support higher labor standards for the state. A stronger floor is necessary and possible in Wisconsin. Workers can’t survive on $7.25. It is time to raise the floor.
Acknowledgments
The State of Working Wisconsin 2024 is written by Laura Dresser, Joel Rogers, Cameron Towne, and Leslie Vasquez.
We would also like to thank the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) in Washington DC for their support with data and analysis.