High Road Strategy Center in the News

This week’s episode of “WisBusiness: the Podcast” is with returning guest Laura Dresser, associate director of the High Road Strategy Center at UW-Madison. The conversation is focused on the center’s latest report, “Can’t Survive on $7.25,” which makes the case that Wisconsin’s minimum wage is too low to live on and explores the potential impacts of raising it. 

Wisconsin Public Radio featured our latest Can’t Survive on $7.25: 2026 Update report, highlighting how Wisconsin’s minimum wage has remained unchanged for 17 years and examining the potential impacts of raising it to $20 an hour by 2030.

WisBusiness highlights our latest Can’t Survive on $7.25: 2026 Update report, which examines who would benefit from raising Wisconsin’s minimum wage to $20 by 2030.

Hoodline reports on Deer District venue workers voting overwhelmingly to unionize under MASH. The article references High Road Strategy Center research on how community benefits agreements and organizing have improved wages and standards for workers in the district.

Wisconsin Watch explores how Wisconsin’s failure to raise its minimum wage for 17 years has eroded workers’ purchasing power, drawing on High Road Strategy Center research on the benefits of higher wages. Associate Director Laura Dresser underscores that a strong wage floor is essential to ensure full-time work provides a basic standard of living.

Point Taken host Kristin Brey chats with Laura Dresser about tariffs, immigration, and the shifting landscape of Wisconsin’s economy.

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.

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.

Urban Milwaukee highlights findings from the State of Working Wisconsin 2025 report, showing that immigrants make up 5% of Wisconsin’s population and play critical roles across industries from health care to agriculture. The article highlights the importance of immigrant workers and business owners to the state’s economy amid shifting national debates over immigration policy.

Battleground Wisconsin podcast features HRSC’s Laura Dresser discussing the latest State of Working Wisconsin report, including who is benefiting in today’s economy, the potential impact of a $20 minimum wage, and broader economic and environmental challenges facing Wisconsin workers. Catch the full discussion online.