While the state’s unemployment rate rose slightly to 3.2 percent in September, Wisconsin continues to make progress in regaining jobs lost during the pandemic.  That’s according to Department of Workforce Development Chief Economist Dennis Winters, who discussed the latest state employment figures yesterday during a web briefing.  Wisconsin has now

WARF’s annual research grant to UW-Madison totals $130 million for this academic year.  The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation yesterday announced its Board of Trustees has approved a $66.1 million base grant following a request from the university’s Office of Research and Graduate Education. That amount is 4 percent higher than

A group called Create Wisconsin, which wants more state support for the arts industry, is rolling out a new multi-pronged economic development initiative.  In an interview yesterday, Create Wisconsin Director Anne Katz said the group has submitted its Grow Wisconsin Creatively Initiative to Gov. Tony Evers’ office and is holding

In the coming months, economists will be closely watching employment figures as a possible indicator of whether the economy is in a recession.  That’s according to Dave Clark, executive associate dean and professor of economics at Marquette University.  In a recent interview, he noted the past two quarters of declining

The head of UW-River Falls’ Dairy Pilot Plant says the renovated facility, due to reopen this spring, will have three times as much production capacity.  In an interview yesterday, plant manager Michelle Farner explained the university’s Dairy Pilot Plant first came online in 1982 as a laboratory for food science

Starbucks workers at a store in Green Bay are seeking to unionize for better hours and working conditions, according to union advocate and barista Ajii Rauworth.  In an interview yesterday, Rauworth said workers at the Green Bay location submitted a petition for union representation to the National Labor Relations Board

Room tax revenues in Wisconsin are bouncing back more quickly in tourist areas than those that rely more on business travel, according to a recent Wisconsin Policy Forum report.  While statewide figures aren’t yet available for 2021, the report focuses on figures for the top 75 municipalities in the state

Rolf Wegenke, the recently retired head of the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, says education leaders in the state need to fight negative perceptions around college education.  “I think that’s the critical issue looking forward, is this ‘you don’t need college’ crowd,” Wegenke told WisPolitics.com President Jeff Mayers

Epic’s research division aims to improve treatments for rare diseases through a large database drawing from millions of patients’ electronic health records.  Panelists representing the Verona-based company discussed Epic’s rapidly growing Cosmos database during a Wisconsin Technology Council luncheon held yesterday in Madison. Dr. Jackie Gerhart, vice president for clinical

Two researchers at UW-River Falls have been awarded a $250,000 grant to explore the impacts of dairy farms adopting robotic milking technologies.  According to a release from the university, Luis Peña-Lévano and Shaheer Burney from UW-River Falls’ Agricultural Economics Department will be working with other specialists from the University of

The number of registrations for electric and hybrid vehicles in Wisconsin more than doubled in less than a decade, according to a new report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum.  In 2013 — the earliest year such figures are available — there were 44,178 registrations for electric cars and hybrids. But

A Madison-based startup called Realta Fusion aims to develop commercially viable fusion technology that could help offset global greenhouse gas emissions.  Kieran Furlong, the company’s CEO, said the UW-Madison spinoff company is working to create the “lowest capital, least complex path” to fusion energy production. He discussed its plans for

Visit Milwaukee President and CEO Peggy Williams-Smith says business travel remains limited in Wisconsin’s largest city while convention activity is seeing more of a comeback.  Speaking on a recent Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce webinar, she attributed some of the continued reduction in business travel to increased use of virtual

ManpowerGroup says it has cut operational emissions 39 percent from 2019 levels, bringing the company over halfway to its goal of 60 percent reductions by 2030.  This reduction was highlighted in the Milwaukee-based company’s 2021-2022 Environmental, Social, and Governance report. ManpowerGroup also plans to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2045

New research from Exact Sciences shows screening for multiple cancer indicators at the same time can improve detection in earlier stages of the disease. That’s according to Dr. Tom Beer, chief medical officer and vice president multi-cancer early detection for the Madison-based cancer diagnostics company. A recent release from Exact

Destination Kohler has created a website honoring the legacy of Herb Kohler Jr., who passed away earlier this month at the age of 83. The site highlights his dedication to family, business accomplishments and impact on the Kohler Company as well as tourism in Wisconsin. Kohler was well-known for his role

Employees of Pabst Theater Group in Milwaukee say their union organizing is helping to improve job security and safety in the hospitality and tourism industry.  Connor Erickson, an event lead with Pabst Theater Group and union advocate, discussed organizing efforts yesterday during a virtual panel organized by UW-Madison’s Center on