MADISON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Nearly nine in ten Wisconsin employers report they are struggling to hire, with the labor shortage leading to wage increases.
Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce — the state’s largest business association — released its winter 2022 Wisconsin Employer Survey on Monday.
According to the survey, 88% of businesses said they were having difficulty filling open positions. More than 80% expected to increase wages by at least 3% in 2022, and 34% said they would raise wages by more than 4%.
“Wages are rising much faster than they have in recent memory,” WMC president/CEO Kurt Bauer said in a news release.
“Wisconsin does not have enough people to fill the jobs we have available, and that creates an aggressive competition for talent. We are seeing wages rise at a faster rate, sign-on bonuses, work flexibility and many other strategies from companies to attract and retain talent.”
A little more than half of Wisconsin businesses — 53% — rated the state’s economy as strong, down from 58% last summer. Only 39% rated the national economy as strong, down from 53% last summer.
As for adding workers, 68% of Wisconsin businesses said they expected to increase their employee count in the next six months, down from 79% last summer.
It’s the fastest we’ve ever seen wages increase.
Human Resources Professor at University of Wisconsin Green Bay Allen Huffcutt tells FOX 11 it’s an unhealthy behavior that in the long run could have detrimental effects on the economy.
“If one company raises their wages and lured away some employees, somebody else loses. There just isn’t enough free employees or potential workers to fill those extra spots, so one gains, one loses.”
Nick Novak, with the WMC, tells FOX 11 with more than 130,000 jobs available in the state, it’s time for state leaders to take a stand.
“We’re calling on policy makers and Governor Evers specifically to instate a talent attraction campaign that will attract people here to Wisconsin to take these great career opportunities that we have.”
Adding the state of Wisconsin does not have enough people to fill the current job openings.
