Wisconsin under Walker loses 18,000 jobs a year

MADISON, Wis. – The Institute for Wisconsin’s Future has released a report, “The Price of Extremism,” that shows, in no uncertain terms, that the policies of Republican Gov. Scott Walker are a dismal failure.

In fact, the report shows, the governor’s policies cost the state more than 18,000 full-time private sector jobs so far, during the first year of the Walker budget.

The report finds that four Walker initiatives in particular have cost the greatest number of jobs.

The state lost 5,400 jobs because of cuts to education and health alone.

Cuts in aid to low-income families cost 1,200 jobs.

4,700 jobs were lost, the report says, because the governor rejected federal funds.

In addition, the economic ripple effects of the budget cost the state at least 6,900 jobs, according to the document.

“In tough times, the worst thing a governor can do is further shrink the economy by stifling spending,” said Jack Norman, research director for the Institute for Wisconsin’s Future. “Gov. Walker has taken huge amounts of money out of the economy through budget cuts, attacks on workers and increased taxes on low-income families. This leads businesses to have fewer customers, workers to have fewer jobs and local governments to have less revenues.”

According to Phil Neuenfeldt, president of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO, the Walker budget, along with stripping public employees of their collective bargaining rights, decreased the spending power of public employees by $3,668 a year for the typical public employee making $40,000 a year.

“This has a huge affect on local economies that will result in $700 million leaving Wisconsin’s economy,” said Neunfeldt. “This is money that was spent at the local corner store and in small businesses in communities across the state. The end economic result for Wisconsin is the loss of 6,900 private-sector jobs.

“This report serves as yet another reminder,” said Neunfeldt, “that Gov. Walker must be recalled for the4 sake of Wisconin.”

Unions and their allies have already collected almost two thirds of the more than 500,000 signatures they need to get a recall motion on the ballot in the state.