One day after Gov. Scott Walker proposed eight bills designed to stimulate economic growth, Wisconsin was ranked 34th in the nation in private sector job creation, according to a federal report released Thursday.
Walker said in a statement he was proud of Wisconsin’s growth, but the work to continue growth is not finished.
The report from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, under the Federal Bureau and Labor Statistics ranked each state and county in terms of wages, weekly and yearly growth and private sector jobs.
According to Walker’s statement, the report ranks Wisconsin 22nd in the nation in private sector job growth, while other legislators’ statements said Wisconsin is ranked 34th.
According to the report, Wisconsin is 22nd in the nation in actual jobs numbers with more than 24,000 private sector jobs created between March 2012 and March 2013, but 34th in the nation in the percentage change of private sector jobs growth, at 1.1 percent.
Sen. Tom Tiffany, R-Hazelhurst, chair of the Committee on Workforce Development, said he agreed with Walker’s choice to use actual job numbers rather than percentage of growth since it shows how many people are actually employed. Tiffany added he was pleased with Walker’s renewed focus on job creation.
Rep. Andy Jorgensen, D-Ft. Atkinson, member of the Committee on Small Business Development, said Walker is spinning the numbers for his advantage.
“As [Harry] Truman said, ‘If you can’t convince someone, you’ve got to confuse them,’” Jorgensen said. “He doesn’t like [the numbers] everyone else is going by.”
Jorgensen said he feels the job bills Walker proposed Wednesday are “underwhelming.”
According to Walker’s statement from Wednesday, the proposed bills include additional funding to technical colleges and K-12 education, services for individuals with special needs, extra incentives for high school students in apprenticeship programs, among other programs.
Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, said Walker’s bills and economic growth plans do not develop the middle class because they only benefit the rich.
In his committee, Jorgensen said he worked alongside committee chair, Rep. Jeff Stone, R-Greendale, to address the concerns of middle-class, small-town manufacturers, rather than outside interests.
The manufacturing industry in Wisconsin is seeing job growth and is a great place for family-oriented, middle-class jobs, Tiffany said.
“Employers both large and small in Minnesota and Illinois have higher taxes and greater regulations, so job creators are looking at Wisconsin as a good alternative,” Tiffany said.
Tiffany said residents are looking at the direction the state is headed, not necessarily job numbers and reports.
Jorgensen added while job reports help to give a measure of Wisconsin’s job creation progress, they cannot always be relied on for true information.
“We can have all the reports we want, but keep in mind, the best judge of whether we are doing well is just talking with your friends and neighbors, and they’re hurting,” Jorgensen said. “That’s the report I go by.”
Walker’s office did not return calls.
