Jake has the details, and they are not pretty.
Job growth Dec 2017 - Dec 2018, QCEW
U.S. +1.5%
Mich +1.04%
Minn +0.91%
Ind. +0.88%
Wis. +0.60% <--
Ohio +0.549%
Iowa +0.547%
Ill. +0.31%
For 2018, the mid-west was well behind the rest of the nation. Only Michigan, with the money for auto manufacturing being pumped into that state, broke 1% job growth.
National headlines about a strong economy simply do NOT apply to Wisconsin, Ohio, Iowa, and Illinois.
Finally, Jake has the final job numbers for Gov. Walker during his time in office
All job growth, Dec 2010 - Dec 2018
Minn +319,619
Wis. +222,260
In 2010, Minnesota had fewer people and fewer jobs than Wisconsin. By the end of 2018, Minnesota surpassed Wisconsin in both categories. Wisconsin’s austerity put a brake on growth while a focus on middle-class growth and investment paid dividends in Minnesota, allowing that state to take the lead over Wisconsin.
Jake also has some information about current trends in manufacturing growth, and the news is NOT good.
This information, when combined with information from UW economist Menzie Chinn, indicates that manufacturing in the mid-west is already in decline. As Jake sums up this bad news:
the 2016-type slowdowns in manufacturing and the Midwestern economy as a whole are starting all over again. Except now we have a higher US budget deficit, with less room for upside as unemployment is likely as low as it can get, and more trade restrictions and adjustments are coming in the near future. Ruh roh.
Strangely, now seven days later, there are still absolutely NO reports in mainstream media about these job numbers or economic trends.
Here is the news that I could find when searching for “qcew wisconsin job numbers” that have to do with jobs:
- https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/nation/4617982-trump-administration-pull-out-rural-job-corps-program-laying-1100-federal
- https://www.channel3000.com/news/politics/national-politics/trump-administration-expected-to-cut-jobs-in-forest-service-restructure/1080911659
- https://www.blueridgeoutdoors.com/newswire/outdoor-updates-trump-administration-kills-rural-job-corp-program-leaving-1100-federal-employees-out-of-work/
- http://www.thecoalfieldprogress.com/coalfield_progress/town-lawmakers-oppose-planned-job-corps-shutdown/article2f22dd50-80ab-11e9-b7dd-9f8525a8761f.html
If anything, further job cuts will compound the decline in jobs that seems already underway.