In progress, but incomplete.
Category Archives: Wisconsin
Enhanced Unemployment Benefits in Wisconsin and Disincentives
From WPR, “Top Wisconsin Republicans Call For Ending Enhanced Unemployment Benefits”:
Two of the Legislature’s top Republicans say they’ll pass a bill that would cut off federal unemployment insurance benefits that were added during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying they’re no longer needed and they’re making it harder for businesses to find workers.
Donald Trump’s “eighth wonder of the world” shrinks from $10 billion to $674 million
Article from Reuters, “Foxconn mostly abandons $10 billion Wisconsin project touted by Trump”:
Under a deal with the state of Wisconsin announced on Tuesday, Foxconn will reduce its planned investment to $672 million from $10 billion and cut the number of new jobs to 1,454 from 13,000.
The Foxconn-Wisconsin deal was first announced to great fanfare at the White House in July 2017, with Trump boasting of it as an example of how his “America first” agenda could revive U.S. tech manufacturing.
My discussion in 2017, citing Legislative Fiscal Bureau assessment, here. Formal modeling of possible economic impacts from CROWE in 2017, and critical assessment by Mercatus of the package here.
And, all of us are wondering – where is Scott Walker?
Wisconsin GDP in Q4
BEA has just released state level GDP for 2020Q4. Wisconsin is down slightly more than the US overall (3% vs 2.4%) relative to NBER peak at 2019Q4, and for 2020 overall at approximately the level forecasted in November. Manufacturing had recovered to prior peak, while accommodation and food services were down 27.6% (all percentages calculated as log differences).
Wisconsin Employment in February: Trending Sideways
If you’d thought the recovery was in full swing, think again. Wisconsin nonfarm payroll employment has stabilized at a level down 5.6% relative to NBER peak in 2020M02 (in log terms), vs. 6.4% for the nation overall (according to figures released by DWD today).
Wisconsin Employment Trends with Benchmark Revisions
Wisconsin month on month employment (nonfarm payroll) grows at an annualized 4.8% in January, but remains 5.1% below January 2020 levels. NFP employment levels for December are benchmark-revised up by 51.7 thousand, or about 1.8%. Details from DWD.
Aggregate Wisconsin Employment Stabilizes, High Contact Services Decline
DWD data released yesterday indicates nonfarm payroll employment broke their two month decline. Private employment rose as well, while manufacturing versus accommodation/food services trend diverged. State and local government employment continued their decline.
Wisconsin during the Trade War
The national trade deficit is larger than when Trump took office. We don’t know for sure the gap between Wisconsin goods exports and imports. We do know the gap between exports of goods originating in Wisconsin, and imports with destinations in Wisconsin, as recorded in the Customs data.
Wisconsin GDP in Q3
Recovery in Wisconsin has brought real GDP back to within 4% of peak levels.
Wisconsin Employment Decline Continues
DWD data indicates nonfarm payroll employment declines in November, as does private nonfarm employment. Government employment also declines, while manufacturing versus accommodation/food services experience diverging fortunes.