Unlike many other countries, owning one’s home is part of the American Dream. Between 1965 and 2023 the average rate of homeownership was 65.3% with a low of 62.9% in 1965 to a peak of 69.2% in the latter half of 2004.

If there is a single measure of economic growth it would be gross domestic product (GDP). It represents the total value of all finished goods and services produced within a country’s (or state’s) borders within a specific time. To compare different regions, it is common practice to adjust total GDP to a population base, specifically GDP per capita.

One of the most commonly identified problems hindering the economic growth of Wisconsin is chronic labor shortages. Coming out of the pandemic firms have struggled to find a sufficient supply of workers. As a result, firms have been reluctant to let workers go despite indications of an economic slowdown.

Does the return to higher education justify the rising costs to students, particularly considering the current tight labor markets? Using the most current Census data for Wisconsin, the average earnings, regardless of educational attainment, is $50,039. When examining the Wisconsin-wide average across different levels of educational attainment, there is a clear upward movement as education increases.

Economists tend to disagree on most issues, but there is uniform agreement that innovation is the key to economic growth and development. Innovation is generally known to be the introduction of a new idea, method, or means of doing something, or device, or in the simplest sense, introducing something new.

Many broadband expansion discussions are driven by the expression “build it and they will come.” While there is a continued push to build more broadband infrastructure, research continues to indicate we need to also think about the cost of internet services for the consumer. Looking at trends in household internet expenditures allows us to see how consumer spending on internet services may be related to future broadband expansion and adoption trends.

There are numerous measures of economic performance ranging from population and employment growth, and relative income levels, to new business formation. One important measure that tends to receive less attention in policy discussion is poverty.

The ability of Wisconsin businesses to export to foreign markets remains an important part of the Wisconsin economy. In 2022 Wisconsin businesses shipped over $27.4 billion to 182 separate counties. The single largest export sector, accounting for $1.9 billion or 6.9% of total exports, is Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 3331) followed by Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (NAICS 3345) which exported $1.7 billion or 6.2%).

In this month’s data snapshot, we explore the landscape of women-owned businesses in Wisconsin. To calculate sector shares, we utilize both employer and nonemployer establishments to present a comprehensive picture, as focusing solely on employers would disregard a significant segment of women entrepreneurs. For example, focusing on employer business would exclude a staggering 89% of women-owned businesses in Wisconsin which currently have no employees.

When the Federal Reserve Bank began raising interest rates to combat inflation in March 2022, coupled with lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as continued issues with supply chains, fears of an economic recession began to rise. Numerous leading economic indicators, such as the yield curve, which compares short- to long-term interest rates and the University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment index, pointed to a pending recession.

Many Wisconsin communities came concerned over housing through discussions of the lack of adequate labor supplies. For example, communities ask why people are not moving into their communities to take advantage of employment opportunities and the lack of quality affordable housing came to the forefront.  The shortage of housing is not unique to Wisconsin and is indeed a national concern.

Despite these high labor participation rates, some employers, policy makers and economic development professionals have expressed concern over the decline in Wisconsin’s total participation rate for individuals ages 16 and over. Indeed, an examination of Wisconsin’s labor participation trends from 1976 to 2022 shows that rates have declined over the last several decades from their peak in the late 1990s.