The State of Working Wisconsin 2025 is now LIVE!
High Road Strategy Center releases The State of Working Wisconsin 2025.
This Labor Day, we release The State of Working Wisconsin 2025, a report on how working people are faring across the state. The report highlights strengths such as record-high median wages and a robust labor market, while also underscoring challenges including slow job growth, deep inequalities, declining unions, and major disruptions from federal policy.
Check out The State of Working Wisconsin 2025
Featured
2024 Annual Report
In 2024, we helped cities and states across the country advance high-road strategies that build more equitable and democratic communities. From safer streets to stronger worker protections, this report highlights the real progress our network made this year.
From Community Benefits, to Collective Bargaining, and Back
Community Benefits Agreements can yield strong results from public investments in private projects like stadiums. Milwaukee's first CBA established labor peace and enabled workers to form MASH. This report showcases how MASH has improved employment and job quality standards for service workers in Milwaukee's Deer District and beyond.
Covering the Bases
Cities across the country routinely make investments in stadiums, such as the Kansas City Royals, despite ample evidence that communities don’t secure promised economic returns. In this paper, we draw on national evidence and experience in Milwaukee to help inform the public discussion in Kansas City.
High Road Strategy Center in the News
Point Taken w/ Kristin Brey – October 14th, 2025
Point Taken host Kristin Brey chats with Laura Dresser about tariffs, immigration, and the shifting landscape of Wisconsin’s economy.
October 14, 2025Wisconsin’s Economic Rollercoaster and the D.C. Shutdown Showdown
Maggie, host of The Maggie Daun Show, dives into Wisconsin's economic landscape with labor economist Laura Dresser, revealing a post-pandemic recovery paired with worrying disparities.
October 2, 2025Tuesday 9/23/25: State of Working Wisconsin report, Buc-ee’s proposal, MMSD project, local sign painter
Laura Dresser, Associate Director and author of State of Working Wisconsin 2025, sits down with WUWM 89.7’s Lake Effect to talk about the findings from the newest report.
September 23, 2025- More