Expanding Economy

More than 179,000 jobs have been created in Wisconsin since January 2003, including nearly 75,000 high-paying professional service jobs and thousands of manufacturing jobs.  According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, other heavy manufacturing states have been losing manufacturing jobs between January 2003 and June 2006:

• United States lost more than 388,000 manufacturing jobs
• Illinois lost 44,000 manufacturing jobs
• Michigan lost 67,000 manufacturing jobs
• Indiana lost 1,200 manufacturing jobs
• Ohio lost 50,000 manufacturing jobs

For each of the last three years Wisconsin increased business start-ups, registering more than 37,000 in 2005.

The magazine FierceBiotec ranks Wisconsin as one of the top five regions in the world targeting biotech companies.

Wisconsin exports increased by 15.1% to a record $17.2 billion in 2006, as compared to a 14.7% national increase. Wisconsin exports have increased by approximately 60 percent since 2003.

Technology exports from Wisconsin jumped by 34% in 2005, for a total of $3.5 billion. Tech products account for 23% of total exports from Wisconsin.
 
Wisconsin was one of only seven states to make the Corporation for Enterprise Development's Honor Roll, scoring:

• A for Performance 
• B for Business vitality 
• B for Developmental capacity

The scores included the following considerations (ranked out of 50 states):

• Business Closings (5)
• Loans to Small Businesses (6)
• Income Distribution (6)
• Employer-Provided Health Insurance (7)
• Job Creation by Start-Up Businesses (7)
• Change in Renewable Energy (8)
• Uninsured Low Income Children (8)
• Cost of Urban Housing (8)
• Involuntary Part-Time Employment (8)
• Poverty Rate (8)
• Working Poor (10)

From 2000 to 2004 13,603 more people moved into Wisconsin than left the state, making it the only state in the upper Midwest to show a small gain in population from domestic migration. In comparison, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Illinois had a net loss of more than 287,000 people and Michigan saw a net loss of nearly 114,000.

Entrepreneur.com's 2006 "Hot Cities for Entrepreneurs" ranks Green Bay #2 among all U.S. small cities.