Expanding Economy

More than 179,000 jobs have been created in Wisconsin since January 2003, including nearly 75,000 high-paying professional service jobs and thousands of manufacturing jobs.  According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, other heavy manufacturing states have losing manufacturing jobs between January 2003 and June 2006:

• United States lost more than 388,000 manufacturing jobs
• Illinois lost 44,000 manufacturing jobs
• Michigan lost 67,000 manufacturing jobs
• Indiana lost 1,200 manufacturing jobs
• Ohio lost 50,000 manufacturing jobs

For each of the last three years Wisconsin increased business start-ups, registering more than 37,000 in 2005.

The magazine FierceBiotec ranks Wisconsin as one of the top five regions in the world targeting biotech companies.

Wisconsin exports increased by 15.1% to a record $17.2 billion in 2006, as compared to a 14.7% national increase. Wisconsin exports have increased by approximately 60 percent since 2003.

Technology exports from Wisconsin jumped by 34% in 2005, for a total of $3.5 billion. Tech products account for 23% of total exports from Wisconsin.
 
Wisconsin was one of only seven states to make the Corporation for Enterprise Development’s Honor Roll, scoring:

• A for Performance 
• B for Business vitality 
• B for Developmental capacity

The scores included the following considerations (ranked out of 50 states):

• Business Closings (5)
• Loans to Small Businesses (6)
• Income Distribution (6)
• Employer-Provided Health Insurance (7)
• Job Creation by Start-Up Businesses (7)
• Change in Renewable Energy (8)
• Uninsured Low Income Children (8)
• Cost of Urban Housing (8)
• Involuntary Part-Time Employment (8)
• Poverty Rate (8)
• Working Poor (10)

From 2000 to 2004 13,603 more people moved into Wisconsin than left the state, making it the only state in the upper Midwest to show a small gain in population from domestic migration. In comparison, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Illinois had a net loss of more than 287,000 people and Michigan saw a net loss of nearly 114,000.

Entrepreneur.com’s 2006 “Hot Cities for Entrepreneurs” ranks Green Bay #2 among all U.S. small cities.