PROPOSED RULE CHANGE THAT WOULD REQUIRE EVICTION RECORDS REMOVED FROM THE STATE WEB SITE AFTER ONE YEAR.

>>> WISCONSIN JOB NUMBERS REACHED A RECORD HIGH IN JULY, AT MORE THAN 3 MILLION.

HOWEVER, A NEW REPORT FROM THE HIGH ROAD STRATEGY CENTER SAYS BENEATH THE BIGGER PICTURE IS A TROUBLING DECLINE OF WOMEN PARTICIPATING, FALLING BELOW 60% SINCE THE LATE 1980s.

HERE TO DIVE DEEPER IS LAURA DRESSER, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR WITH THE GROUP.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

>> YOUR REPORT SHOWS WISCONSIN'S ECONOMY IS STRONG, UNEMPLOYMENT LOW BUT NO NEWS DOESN'T COME WITH A LITTLE DOUBT AND INSECURITY THESE DAYS.

>> YEAH, THAT IS CORRECT.

HAVING DONE THIS REPORT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS NOW AND RELEASING IT ON LABOR DAY, THIS HAS GOOD NEWS FOR WORKERS.

WE HAVE DOCUMENTED TRENDS THAT ARE TROUBLING AND SEE THINGS HERE.

>> WHEN IT COMES TO LOW UNEMPLOYMENT WITH WISCONSIN'S SLOW POPULATION GROWTH AND PROJECTED SHORTAGE OF WORKERS, THAT LOW UNEMPLOYMENT SEEMS A PERMANENT FIXTURE, RIGHT?

>> OUR RATE WILL ALWAYS BE LOWER THAN THE NATIONAL RATE.

A FINANCIAL COLLAPSE WILL INCREASE OUR UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS BUT OUR ALSO REMAIN LOWER THAN THE NATIONAL, MOST LIKELY, BECAUSE OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC STRUCTURE.

THAT TIGHTNESS IN THE LABOR MARKET CREATES A LITTLE REBALANCING OF POWER BETWEEN WORKERS AND EMPLOYERS.

I THINK THAT IS WHAT WE ARE SEEING, IS WORKERS KNOW THEY HAVE A CREDIBLE EXIT THREAT.

THEY CAN USE THAT IN THE LABOR MARKET.

SO THAT IS TRUE NOW, ESPECIALLY WITH THESE VERY HISTORIC LOW UNEMPLOYMENT RATES BUT WILL BE TRUE GOING FORWARD BECAUSE OF DEMOGRAPHICS.

>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THE WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN WORKFORCE AND HOW CLOSELY IS THAT CONNECTED TO THE LEGISLATIVE FIGHT GOING ON BETWEEN GOVERNOR EBERS AND CHILDCARE SUBSIDIES AND CHILDCARE ISSUE S?

>> IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN WE ARE VERY INTER TE INTERESTED IN SEEING WORKERS TO TAKE PLACE, EMBRACING INSTEAD OF SITTING ON THE SIDELINES OR TAKING KIDS INTO THE LABOR MARKET.

WHAT WE SEE FROM THIS HIGH LEVEL, WISCONSIN HAS ALWAYS HAD MUCH HIGHER WOMEN'S LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.

THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE IN LATE 1980s AND ON THROUGH THE 90s, BUT THAT GAP KEEPS CLOSING AND CLOSING AND REALLY OVER THE LAST THREE, FOUR YEARS, WOMEN'S LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION RATE IN THE STATE IS COMING DOWN MORE QUICKLY THAN THE SLIGHT DRIFT DOWN AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL.

IT IS CLOSING THAT GAP.

IT MEANS THAT THERE IS CAPACITY TO SUPPORT WOMEN'S WORK AND TO GET MORE ENGAGEMENT OF WOMEN IN THIS LABOR MARKET.

I THINK WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT CAN HELP WOMEN CONNECT WITH WORK IT CHILD CARE THAT WORKS AND IS STRONG.

THAT IS GOING ON IN THE LEGISLATURE, HOW DO WE INVEST IN CHILDCARE INFRASTRUCTURE.

>> CAN WE SAY IT IS A MARKET SOLUTION, SOMEONE WILL FIGURE IT OUT BECAUSE THEY NEED PEOPLE TO WORK?

>> HAVING WATCHED CHILDCARE FOR SO LONG, I THINK THE SECTOR REQUIRES PUBLIC INVESTMENT.

WE HAVE MASSIVE PUBLIC INVESTMENT BECAUSE CHILDREN ARE A PUBLIC GOOD ONCE THEY GET TO SCHOOL, RIGHT?

WE ALL AGREE WE ARE BUILDING THE FUTURE AND ALL INVEST IN SCHOOLS.

AND THAT IS HOW WE HAVE JOB QUALITY IN SCHOOLS, TEACHER QUALITY IN SCHOOLS THAT CAN REALLY SUSTAIN DECENT JOBS.

BUT AT THE -- IN THE LEVEL OF EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION, WAGES TEND TO BE VERY LOW.

PARENTS, ESPECIALLY IN JOBS THAT PAY LESS THAN THE MEDIAN WAGE, HALF WORKERS IN LESS THAN MEDIAN AGE HAVE HARD TIME SO THAT TAKES A PUBLIC INVESTMENT.

NOW WE HAVE A LARGELY PRIVATE SOLUTION AND STATES THAT ARE TAKING ON MORE AND MORE PUBLIC INVESTMENT ARE GETTING THAT KIND OF SYSTEM THAT CAN REALLY SUPPORT WOMEN'S WORK.

>> ONE OF THE OTHER ISSUES YOU TRACK IS UNIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY AND WISCONSIN.

WE HAVE SEEN PLACES LIKE AMAZON DOWN TO THE COFFEE SHOP.

WHAT IS THE SITUATION?

>> WELL, UNIONS HAVE BEEN IN A DECADES DECO DECADES DECLINE IN THEIR SHARE OF WORKFORCE.

THIS IS TRUE NATIONALLY AND IN WISCONSIN.

WISCONSIN USED TO BE RELATIVELY HIGH, ABOVE NATIONAL AVERAGE.

2011AC10, THE CHANGE IN PUBLIC SECTOR UNIONIZATION CHANGED THAT SO THAT LINE BEGAN TO TIP.

FROM 2011 TO CURRENT WISCONSIN DECLINING FAR OUTSTRIPS THE NATIONAL DECLINE AND IS WORST IN THE REGION.

SO, YES, THERE'S -- YOU KNOW, WORKERS ARE GOING TO FIND WAYS TO JOIN TOGETHER AND MAKE JOBS BETTER.

YOU CAN SEE THAT ALL OVER THE STATE AND NATION GOING ON.

UNIONS ARE INCREASINGLY POPULAR.

SO FAR THE HEAD WINDS AGAINST ORGANIZING ESPECIALLY IN A RIGHT TO WORK STATE WITH VERY HARD PUBLIC SECTOR UNIONIZATION RULES AS WELL MAKES TURN ING THAT INTO MEMBERS REALLY HARD.

>> JUST A FEW SECONDS LEFT.

TALK ABOUT THE MINIMUM WAGE OF $7.25 IN WISCONSIN.

IT IS EVEN RELEVANT TO TODAY'S CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE WORKFORCE?

>> SUCH AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.

WE ALL KNOW THE FLOOR HAS REALLY COME UP.

LOW-WAGE WORKERS ARE DOING BETTER.

THEY ARE DOING THEIR BEST OF ANY GROUP IN THE ECONOMY.

LOW-WAGE WORKERS HAVE MADE MORE GAINS, SO THE $7.25 IS TECHNICALLY OUR MINIMUM WAGE, LIKE 20 STATES IN THE NATION.

BUT IT REALLY MATTERS TO RAISE THAT WAGE SO THAT ALL WORKERS, CARE WORKERS AND OTHER WORKERS KNOW WHAT THE FLOOR IS.

>> LAURA DRESSER FROM CAUS, THANKS.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME TODAY.

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