Wisconsin businesses grapple with a growing worker shortage

From the Workers Wanted: Wisconsin's Looming Crisis series

With unemployment near a record low and more baby boomers retiring, Wisconsin faces a looming worker crisis

MATTHEW DeFOUR
Sep 11, 2017
Sep 11, 2017 Updated Mar 31, 2022
10 min to read

A Pulaski yacht manufacturer that cut 1,000 positions during the Great Recession now strains to fill 70 openings.

Workers Wanted: 2-Yacht manufacturer that cut 1,000 jobs struggles to fill 70 — Magdeleno Martinez, foreground, and Dustin Beyer, background, remove fiberglass boat parts from molds at Marquis Yachts in Pulaski. The company has struggled to hire workers starting at $12.50 an hour and worries raising pay will make it difficult to remain competitive.
M.P. KING, STATE JOURNAL

Workers Wanted: 3-Employers are realizing they have to invest in their workforce — Many employers in Wisconsin complain that job applicants in the current market lack certain employable traits, such as the ability to show up on time and communication skills. Meanwhile, Pat Schramm, executive director of the Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin, said it's a "cool time" because employers are realizing they have to invest in workers. "Five years ago I don’t think you saw that," she said.
JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL

Workers Wanted: 4- For many workers, barriers to employment are a challenge — Laura Ortiz Cruz, 42, a Madison personal care aide, has struggled to provide for her two daughters while gaining the skills needed for a better-paying job. A Wisconsin State Journal review of Job Center of Wisconsin data from Aug. 1 found many jobs being advertised pay less than what the United Way considers a survival wage.
JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL

Workers Wanted: 5-77 percent of employers say they have trouble hiring workers — Marquis Yacht workers build the hull for a 55-foot yacht. The company laid off 1,000 workers during the Great Recession and now struggles to hire 70 employees. Three out of four members of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce reported having trouble finding workers.
M.P. KING, STATE JOURNAL

Workers Wanted: 6-Frustrated by talent pool, companies add more training — Basin Precision Machining in Jefferson has begun teaching employees basic personal management skills to help retain them. Many companies say job applicants in the current labor market lack many of those basic skills, making it harder to employ them.
JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL

Workers Wanted: 7-Companies are scrambling for workers — "Now hiring" signs, like the one at Marquis Yachts in Pulaski, are popping up all over Wisconsin as companies scramble for workers. Marquis has tried billboards, a parade float and sending former workers postcards to fill open positions.
M.P. KING, STATE JOURNAL

Workers Wanted: Employers frustrated by job applicant qualifications — Many employers in Wisconsin complain job applicants in the current market lack certain employable traits, such as the ability to show up on time and communication skills.
JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL

Workers Wanted: Economists say low wages are one reason employers can't find workers — A Wisconsin State Journal review of Job Center of Wisconsin data from Aug. 1 found many jobs being advertised pay less than what the United Way considers a survival wage.
JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL

Projected future job openings in Wisconsin, ranked by occupation

Sources: Office of Economic Advisors, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development; Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics

Occupation	Total new openings 2014-24	Percent growth in type of job	Wisconsin average annual wage (May 2016)	Typical education for entry	Related occupation work experience	On-the-job training needed for competency
Personal care aide	17,933	28.7	$24,400	No formal	None	Short-term
Food prep, server (includes fast food)	8,613	13.6	$19,010	No formal	None	Short-term
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver	6,867	13.2	$43,030	Postsecondary non-degree	None	Short-term
Registered nurse	5,327	9.5	$67,930	Bachelor's	None	None
Sales rep (wholesale and manuf.)	4,742	11.7	$71,370	High school	None	Moderate-term
Customer service rep	4,616	8	$36,280	High school	None	Short-term
Nursing assistant	4,578	13.4	$27,980	Postsecondary non-degree	None	None
Computer systems analyst	4,048	27.7	$77,090	Bachelor's	None	None
Janitor, cleaner	3,952	8.1	$25,960	No formal	None	Short-term
Restaurant cook	3,380	17.2	$24,390	No formal	<5 years	Moderate-term
Retail salesperson	2,902	3.3	$25,640	No formal	None	Short-term
General, operations manager	2,815	7.9	$117,390	Bachelor's	5+ years	None
Manual freight, material mover	2,712	4.9	$31,210	No formal	None	Short-term
Bartender	2,658	9.9	$20,590	No formal	None	Short-term
Accountant, auditor	2,644	11.5	$66,070	Bachelor's	None	None
Landscaping, groundskeeping worker	2,387	11.2	$28,140	No formal	None	Short-term
Waiter, waitress	2,328	5.4	$21,390	No formal	None	Short-term
Machine tool operator (computer)	2,294	21.3	$42,170	High school	None	Moderate-term
Marketing specialist, research analyst	2,194	19	$57,420	Bachelor's	None	None
Maid, housekeeping cleaner	2,174	8.3	$21,720	None	None	Short-term

STATE-WIDE PROJECTED NEW OPENINGS	196,009	6.02	$45,954