MADISON, Wis. — At Friday’s debate, despite record low unemployment and more Wisconsinites working than ever before, Tim Michels accused Wisconsinites of taking advantage of the state’s unemployment system and being part of “an entire class of lazy people.”
Michels: Number one, we’re gonna get people off of their couches and get them back to work, we created an entire class of lazy people during COVID. And it’s time to get them back engaged in our economy, to stop just sending them the unemployment checks, the COVID subsidy checks, which I know are now gone, but they were getting them. And that’s how they got lazy.
Wisconsin’s economy is stronger under Governor Evers. Under Governor Evers, Wisconsin reached record unemployment at 2.8% this spring, and remains near this record low at 3.1%. Wisconsin has more people working than ever before, and reached a labor force participation rate in the top 10 in America.Over 6,600 businesses have opened or expanded through the Main Street Bounceback Program. Gov. has invested over $150 million in long-term skills training, apprenticeships, and job opportunities for workers in every corner of the state. Under Gov. Evers, Wisconsin reached a milestone 15,000 registered apprenticeships, the highest participation rate in two decades. In response to Michels’ comments insulting Wisconsinites, Evers said, “I’m still trying to battle the issue of lazy Wisconsinites when we have so few people that are unemployed in the state of Wisconsin.”“Tim Michels revealed what he really thinks of Wisconsinites on the debate stage last night and it is a complete lack of respect for the voters he is trying to persuade,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Rapid Response Director Hannah Menchhoff. “If he wasn’t such an out of touch millionaire, he would know that our economy is stronger thanks to Gov. Evers.”
