Wisconsin, how's your economy doing?

[quijote]

I think crime rates in Milwaukee are down for the year, compared to the same time last year, in large part due to the new chief of police. Some parts of the city are doing poorly, but other parts are fine. In general, though, as everyone else has mentioned, the state's economy is not great right now. Unfortunately, most of the rest of the country isn't doing well either. My dad lives in the southeast (in Florida) now, but I wouldn't want to live there--lots of foreclosures, suspended construction projects. It'll be a while before things turn around, and yes, they will eventually turn around.

[Geechie North]

Originally Posted by mackinac81

Hello Wisonsinites!

I live across the lake in Michigan, where our economy isn't doing so hot, including....

1. 8.5% unemployment
2. bad leadership at the state level
3. 400,000 jobs lost in the past 7 years
4. a HUGE exodus of people, especially young people. (myself included, pretty soon)

I was just wondering how my fellow midwesterners across the lake were doing. Is it similarly bad over there, or are you doing okay? Are you losing a lot of people too?

Mackinac

.

Here's a short, statistically valid, and very real answer:

If you live in the USA and depend on a paycheck (by that I mean you are dependent on what econtypes call "Real Wages" ;excludes those who make their money via investments, mega-commissions, or CEO pay), and that's 80% of us, then you are doing worse now that at any time since the 1930's.
We simply cannot compete with 16-cent per hour labor from China, etc.

[ccjarider]

no one in China earns 16 cents/hr. Wages in China are going up at a rapid rate (although still way below US wages)
Further the increasing cost of transporting goods from Asia is changing the business model.

If Americans can be innovative, there will be work. It will not be
work as your father did, but there is still needs that need to be stisfied and people will pay to have there needs fulfilled.

[Geechie North]

I don't believe that a travel forum is a place for a political discussion, but the 16-cent figure is accurate. And that excludes the slave labor there used to make lower cost items- toys, etc.

I would advise anyone pursuing this question and looking for objective data on the US economy to conduct their own research.

[#Littledog]

Originally Posted by Geechie North

.

Here's a short, statistically valid, and very real answer:

If you live in the USA and depend on a paycheck (by that I mean you are dependent on what econtypes call "Real Wages" ;excludes those who make their money via investments, mega-commissions, or CEO pay), and that's 80% of us, then you are doing worse now that at any time since the 1930's.
We simply cannot compete with 16-cent per hour labor from China, etc.

That's an interesting statistic! I think we're all feeling the crunch. Except maybe Paris Hilton?

[Alt Dach]

From coast to coast people think its just their area thats hurting.Nope the whole US is toast. You can relocate to the place Wall Strret is pimping as the next "boom town" but that changes every few years-LOL.

[berries]

every other house is for sale. were doooooooomed