MADISON, Wis. (Public News Service) – Income inequality in Wisconsin continues its long path upward, according to a new academic analysis, and voices at the community level are hopeful about closing gaps – but warn it won’t happen overnight.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison summary says income inequality in the Badger State isn’t quite as high as the national level, but has been growing steadily over the past 30 years.
The author said higher-income individuals benefit disproportionately from the economic growth.
Robert Kraig, executive director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin, said years of policy decisions and tax code changes are driving factors.
“We need a deliberate policy that restores the conditions for greater economic equality and greater racial equality,” said Kraig, “because our socioeconomic system is color-coded, where you are more likely to be poor if you’re Black or Brown than if you are white.”
Kraig said there are no longer guaranteed pathways for people to secure good-paying jobs, whether they pursue college or look for work after graduating high school.
He said he thinks jobs tied to clean energy growth, spurred by federal investments, can help reverse years of troubling trends.
But he said other important sectors, like childcare, need structural changes to foster stronger wage growth.
Kraig suggested that if someone working a low-wage job can’t take time off to attend a training course, they stand little chance of advancing in a new career.
So, he said another reform that’s needed is an overhaul of job training programs.
“A lot of the workforce training programs we have are helpful to a number of people,” said Kraig, “but they don’t move the inequality numbers because they don’t reach enough people.”
The Inflation Reduction Act has set aside billions to train and place people in clean energy jobs. But Kraig said other programs need to pay people to train and start working in a new career much sooner.
This article originally appeared on Public News Service.
References: Average wages have surpassed inflation for 12 straight months EPI 5/15/24
Michael Cohen Reflects on His Journey from Trump’s Inner Circle to Outspoken Critic
9/8/2024 | Teri Barr
Once known as part of Donald Trump’s inner circle and his loyal attorney, Michael Cohen has undergone a remarkable transformation. His journey has taken Cohen from a key player in Trump’s world to an outspoken critic. He recently joined Todd Allbaugh, host of The Todd Allbaugh Show, to talk about his past and his evolving […]
Pike Lake Annual Fun Day
9/6/2024 | Austin Brumet
The Pike Lake Volunteer Fire Department hosted their annual Fun Day, bringing in crowds of attendees in support of the department.
Lugerville Church Set to Close
9/6/2024 | Austin Brumet
Park Falls, Wis. (WCQM/WPFP) – Our Savior’s Episcopal Church in Lugerville, will be closing. They were the first established church in Lugerville when they were first founded in 1938 and moved locations several times until 1949 when the church acquired the former South Fork School. The building was then moved ten miles to Lugerville, where […]
Governor Tim Walz Discusses Rural America and the 2024 Election on The Chad Holmes Show
9/6/2024 | Teri Barr
The Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee talks about his rural roots, bipartisanship, and what he orders at Culver’s on WXCO Radio.
Wisconsin’s long-term care crisis: Staffing troubles, low Medicaid rates prompt closures
9/6/2024 | Addie Costello / Wisconsin Watch and WPR
Low state reimbursement rates through Medicaid have depressed provider revenue and worker pay at assisted living facilities.
