Contact: WisDems Communications (press@wisdems.org)

 

89% of adults in Wisconsin receiving direct checks

(MADISON) — In less than 100 days, President Biden’s American Rescue Plan and the administration’s leadership is ushering in an economic boom and potentially one of the fastest rates of growth in decades. Here in Wisconsin, the state added 12,900 total non-farm and 11,100 private-sector jobs from February to March, and the unemployment rate is at 3.8 percent, well below the national average.

  • The American Rescue Plan is giving economic impact payments of up to $1,400 per person for 89% of all adults in Wisconsin to make sure they can pay the bills, put food on the table, and keep their small businesses open. As a result, the economy is rebounding. 

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Gov. Tony Evers announces he’ll direct $2.5 billion in federal relief money to economic recovery in Wisconsin

“Molly Sullivan, owner of Miss Molly’s Cafe & Pastry Shop where Evers made the announcement, said the expansion of small business grants would help small restaurants like hers stay in business amid customer drop off. 

“‘Receiving that money was hugely vital to my business,’ she said. Sullivan said she received two rounds of grants that helped her to purchase a new point-of-sale system and modify outdoor seating for colder weather.”

Washington Post: As economy spikes, Republicans are still waiting for the ‘Biden depression’ that Trump predicted

“Instead, the rebounding economy is headed for its best year since 1984, according to the International Monetary Fund. The U.S. economy likely expanded in the first quarter at an annual rate of 6 percent and should accelerate in the months ahead, economist Ian Shepherdson of Pantheon Macroeconomics told clients this week. More than 1.3 million jobs have been added since the election.”

  • Thanks to President Biden delivering on his promise to get 200 million vaccines administered in under 100 days, and the strong and steady leadership of Governor Evers, businesses are opening up, people are heading back to work, and retail is booming.

Associated Press: $1,400 stimulus checks helped March retail sales soar 9.8%

“Newly vaccinated and armed with $1,400 stimulus checks, Americans went on a spending spree last month, buying new clothes and going out to eat again. Retail sales surged a seasonally adjusted 9.8% in March after dropping about 3% the month before, the Commerce Department said Thursday. The increase was the biggest since May of last year, when stores reopened after closing at the start of the pandemic. It was also much larger than the 5.5% increase Wall Street analysts had expected.”

Milwaukee Business Journal: Wisconsin Gov. Evers making $420 million from federal stimulus available for small businesses 

“As many as 84,000 Wisconsin small businesses are eligible for $5,000 in Covid-19 relief under a new grant program that Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers announced Thursday.

“The grants are aimed at businesses with annual gross revenue between $10,000 and $7 million, according to a press release from the governor’s office. The awards are part of the new Wisconsin Tomorrow Small Business Recovery Grant program, which is a collaboration between the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. and the Department of Revenue.

“Funding for the grants will come from the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), which allocated $3.2 billion to Wisconsin. Of that, Evers has said $2.5 billion will go toward economic recovery efforts, with $600 million targeting small businesses. The $420 million in grants announced Thursday are included in that $600 million.”

  • And now, more Americans approve of President Biden’s handling of the economy than they ever did for President Trump.

PBS Newshour: Biden’s poll numbers on the economy rival Trump’s for the first time 

“A majority of Americans support President Joe Biden’s handling of the economy, marking the first time his approval numbers have been on par with those enjoyed by Donald Trump in an area where the former president consistently received high marks from the public and on which he staked his political career.”

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