Here & Now

Corporations Leaving Wisconsin Displace Workers

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

BUT FIRST, AS WE HEAD INTO THE LABOR DAY WEEKEND, A QUICK LOOK AT THE STATE OF LABOR IN WISCONSIN. THE MOST RECENT UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS SHOW THAT THE JOBLESS RATE IN WISCONSIN STANDS AT 4.6%. THAT’S COMPARED TO 5.4% ONE YEAR AGO. HOWEVER, DURING THAT SAME ONE-YEAR TIME PERIOD, FROM JULY TO JULY, THE STATE LOST 21,303 JOBS, WITH THE BIGGEST LOSSES IN MINING AND LOGGING. THE BIGGEST GAINS CAME IN THE FINANCIAL SECTOR. TOUGH NEWS ON THE LABOR FRONT THIS WEEK, AS TWO WISCONSIN MANUFACTURERS ANNOUNCE THEY ARE CLOSING. 100 EMPLOYEES WILL BE OUT OF JOBS WHEN LUXURY BOAT MAKER PALMER JOHNSON YACHTS CLOSES IT'S TWO STURGEON BAY MANUFACTURING FACILITIES. THE COMPANY NOTIFIED EMPLOYEES THIS WEEK THAT IT EXPECTS TO FULLY CLOSE BY THE END OF THE YEAR AND MOVE ITS OPERATIONS TO THE NETHERLANDS. PALMER JOHNSON HAS A LONG HISTORY IN STURGEON BAY, DATING BACK NEARLY 100 YEARS. THE CURRENT OWNER SAYS SALES HAVE DROPPED AND MOVING TO EUROPE WILL GIVE IT A MORE COMPETITIVE EDGE. ANOTHER CLOSING THIS TIME IN WHITEWATER, HYPRO, INCORPORATED, WHICH MAKES MACHINE COMPONENTS, PLANS TO CONSOLIDATE ITS OPERATIONS AND CLOSE ITS FACILITY. THIS CLOSURE IS EXPECTED TO DISPLACE 62 EMPLOYEES WITHIN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS. THERE IS ALSO A NEW MAN IN CHARGE AT THE WISCONSIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, THE STATE’S MAIN JOBS CREATION AUTHORITY. THIS WEEK THE GOVERNOR APPOINTED BANKING EXECUTIVE MARK R. HOGAN AS THE NEXT CEO OF WEDC. IT HAS FACED REPEATED CRITICISM FOR POOR FINANCIAL CONTROLS. IN THE MOST RECENT AUDIT, THE NONPARTISAN LEGISLATIVE AUDIT BUREAU FOUND THAT WEDC NEVER REQUIRED PROOF THAT JOBS WERE ACTUALLY CREATED OR RETAINED AFTER THE AUTHORITY ISSUED MILLIONS IN TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO WISCONSIN COMPANIES. HOGAN REPLACES REED HALL, WHO ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT AFTER THREE YEARS AT THE HELM OF THE EMBATTLED WEDC.