Jobs / Economy
We live in a world of vast economic opportunity,
yet most middle-class families are losing ground.
A good job and a growing economy are essential for a meaningful and
dignified life.
Ozaukee County,
although the smallest county in square miles and 18th in
population, has the highest per capita income in the state at $47,946
and a median household income of $69,174 (2004 US Census Bureau).
According to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development,
however, the top five occupations in the county are:
1) Retail Sales, 2) Hand Material Movers, 3) Food
Preparation/Service Workers, 4) Office Clerks, and 5) Customer Service
Representatives.
Unfortunately, the average annual wage for retail sales and food prep
are in the bottom five and range from $10,455 - $14,735.
The US Department of Labor has identified a handful of industries
which they label “high growth” and which they have determined will
create the most job growth in the near future (through the year 2014).
#1 and #3 on the list are Hospitality and Retail, respectively.
Again, these are not the best paying jobs.
The federal minimum wage had stagnated at $5.15 an
hour since 1997. In buying power, the federal minimum is 30 percent
lower than it was in 1979, and inflation erodes its value each year.
Although the federal minimum wage recently increased to $5.85 an
hour (thanks to the Democratic majority in the US House of
Representatives), in Wisconsin
as of June 1, 2007 the minimum wage is $6.50 an hour.
If you work full time, based on 40 hours a week, your annual
salary will be only $13,520.
Increasing the minimum wage to $7.25 would put money in the pockets of
thousands of low-wage working adults in
Wisconsin. The
Economic Policy Institute, a national research organization, estimates
that some 255,000 workers in Wisconsin – 10 percent of
the workforce – would gain from such an increase.
While some argue that minimum wage increases are “job
killers,” there is little evidence, nationally or at the state level, to
support that view. Recent data
from Wisconsin
demonstrate that the state’s economy has continued to grow after minimum
wage increases went into effect in 2005 and 2006.
Employment grew after the 2005
increase, with much stronger than average job growth posted by the
eating and drinking industry, which is most affected by the wage
increases.
Looking at the growth industries listed by the
Department of Labor, information technology caught my eye because it was
the industry I worked in, in
San Francisco.
It is also a high-paying field.
There is no reason the next Google needs to be born in
San Francisco
or Boston — it could happen right here in
Cedarburg or Marshfield or La Crosse.
For a modest investment in several servers and a T3 line you can
launch a business in a burgeoning industry.
Health care is another field on the US Department of Labor list
as a high growth industry.
Currently there is a nursing shortage and with our aging population we
will need more long-term care facilities and staff to care for our
elders. In addition, if we
properly fund the education programs in our state we will need
additional teachers at all levels.
Possibly more importantly, there are innovative and emerging
technologies which will spawn new businesses and which should be pursued
and cultivated ardently.
Wisconsin
can become the haven for the next “killer app”.
What will it take to foster these growing industries?
One issue is having sufficient numbers of qualified employees.
San Francisco can draw young Berkeley grads from across the Bay and offer
them a starting salary of $60,000 a year.
In order to become a hub of Silicon Valley
or Boston Alley we need more students studying computer science.
To alleviate the current nursing shortage, we need to entice more
students into the health care fields.
A strong investment in our education system will ensure we have
the qualified candidates for these jobs.
As we move from a manufacturing base to a service industry
economy, our educational focus must change as well.
We must have a business environment that supports our
existing industries, creates incentives for new start-up operations, and
lures more businesses into Wisconsin.
Additionally, we must strengthen our base industries of
agriculture and tourism.
This will ensure we have a growing economy, enabling a strong tax base.
How do we accomplish this?
Certainly, a state-wide health care system would be a massive
advantage for retaining existing companies and enticing new businesses
into the state. A regional
approach is needed to ensure all areas of the state benefit from an
expanding economy. Also,
investing in infrastructure and streamlining bureaucracies will go a
long way toward growing the economy in Wisconsin.
The course of
action to building a strong economy is multi-faceted.
We must create an environment that is conducive to high-paying,
quality jobs in Wisconsin.
It is simply the right thing to do.
