MADISON, WI (WTAQ) — The head of Wisconsin Manufacturing and Commerce, the state’s largest business organization, says there’s some evidence that the end of the $300 per week unemployment benefit could already be having a positive impact on the labor market.
CEO Kurt Bauer says some companies are reporting an increase in job applicants since the end of the additional benefit over labor day weekend.
“I got an email from [one of our] member CEO’s, of a major company in the state with over 500 employees,” said Bauer. “He said that they’ve seen a doubling in job applications since labor day.”
Bauer says it’s too soon to see an impact in the economic data, but anticipates that we will see additional hiring and job seekers.
“Many economists did indicate that they saw an uptick in job applications in states that ended the supplement early,” Bauer told WTAQ.
Some sectors of the economy have fared worse than others in recent months, with worker shortages plaguing a number of industries.
“The $300 per week supplemental probably had more of an impact on the lower end of the wage scale,” Bauer said. “More on hospitality and leisure, less on manufacturing and healthcare.”
That doesn’t mean those industries will see their hiring problems disappear. Bauer says the state of Wisconsin has been suffering from a worker shortage since before the COVID-19 pandemic, and that one will likely remain in the foreseeable future.
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