Wisconsin
Unemployment Down in Minnesota and South Dakota, Flat in Wisconsin
New unemployment data released this week for the month of July in Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin provides largely good news on the labor force front in the Upper Midwest. In Minnesota, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell from 8.4…
Read MoreWill Minnesota and Wisconsin Elect Governors from the Same Political Party in 2010?
Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle’s official announcement on Monday that he would not be seeking a third term created not only a newfound battle for the Democratic nomination, but also a scenario whereby the Badger and Gopher States will both…
Read MoreUnemployment Continues to Rise at Historic Pace Across Upper Midwest
June was not a good month for jobs in the Upper Midwest, with unemployment increasing in Minnesota and three of its four neighboring states – Iowa, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. While unemployment remains below the national average across the region,…
Read MoreThe Honeymoon Is Over: Obama Approval Rating Drops to 51 Percent in Minnesota
After six consecutive months of notching approval ratings between 59 and 65 percent in the Gopher State, President Barack Obama’s job performance numbers haven taken a nose-dive in July, in not only Minnesota, but other key battleground states as measured…
Read MoreWisconsin Overtakes Minnesota as #1 State in Health Care Quality Rankings
The newly released 2008 state rankings by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ) finds the State of Wisconsin has passed Minnesota for overall health care quality in the United States….
Read MorePawlenty Unallotment Strategy, Decision Not to Run in 2010 Have Little Impact on Approval Ratings
Just as Tim Pawlenty’s announcement that he would use an unallotment strategy to resolve the state’s budget crisis had little impact on his approval ratings in late May, his decision to not seek a third term as Minnesota’s Governor also…
Read MoreMinnesota, Wisconsin Lead Nation in Largest Proportion of House Committee Leadership Posts
U.S. Representative John Kline’s (MN-02) election this week as the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and Labor further established the Gopher State’s House delegation as one of the most powerful in the nation. Minnesota now has…
Read MoreMinnesota and Upper Midwest Being Spared the Worst of US Job Loss Crisis
While Minnesota and the rest of the Upper Midwestern states are still in the midst of enduring some of the largest unemployment rates each has endured for many years, most of the region is historically doing quite well on the…
Read MoreIs Conservatism on the Rise in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest?
While the last two election cycles have seen Upper Midwestern Republicans lose seats in state legislatures, lose seats to the U.S. House, and lose statewide elections for the U.S. Senate and the presidency, the conservative brand seems to be catching…
Read MoreWisconsin Unemployment Rate Rises for Record 7th Straight Month
Last week’s news from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development that the state’s unemployment rate had increased from 8.5 percent in March to 8.6 percent in April marked an inauspicious moment for the Badger State’s labor market. Although the rise…
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