Leslie Vasquez Guzman

The United States’ economic outlook has many people concerned. On Sept. 16, the Fed raised interest rates for the first time in three years. Some experts are predicting the end of the AI bubble, and U.S.-Israeli war with Iran is raising prices on goods of all kinds. Closer to home, the outlook for Wisconsin’s workers seems to be less dire — but still mixed. That’s according to the latest “State of Working Wisconsin,” a report compiled each year by UW-Madison’s High Road Strategy Center.

The economic landscape for workers is mixed, according to the “State of Working Wisconsin,” an annual report released on Sept. 4 by the High Road Strategy Center, a University of Wisconsin-Madison think tank.

The economic landscape for workers is mixed, according to the “State of Working Wisconsin,” an annual report released on Sept. 4 by the High Road Strategy Center, a University of Wisconsin-Madison think tank.

UW-Madison labor economist and High Road Strategy Center associate director Laura Dresser discusses The State of Working Wisconsin 2026 report on job trends, wage growth, inflation and affordability.

The latest State of Working Wisconsin report highlights “a fragile moment in the economy” as record-high wages are offset by rising inflation and faltering job growth. The report, now in its 30th year, was created by the High Road Strategy Center, a UW-Madison think tank formerly named the Center on Wisconsin Strategy.

Median wages have hit a record high in Wisconsin, but job growth has stalled and the state’s Black unemployment rate is rising. Those are the main findings from “The State of Working Wisconsin 2026,” a new report on the state’s job market. The annual report is released by the High Road Strategy Center, a left-leaning “think-and-do tank” at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

On September 4, 2026, Here & Now host Frederica Freyberg sat down with Associate Director Laura Dresser to talk about the latest State of Working Wisconsin report.

Wage gains for lower-paid Wisconsin workers have continued in 2026, but a halt in job creation suggests that might not last, says the author of a new report released ahead of Labor Day. “The State of Working Wisconsin 2026” tells a good news-bad news story for Wisconsin’s workforce, but one that could become less favorable under current conditions.

From Wisconsin Public Radio: ‘State of Working Wisconsin’ report says state has lost jobs since January 2025

High Road Strategy Center Associate Director Laura Dresser joins host Andy Moore on the Friday 8 O’Clock Buzz to break down the findings of the annual State of Working Wisconsin report.