Economy

It is now long past the time for our city’s business to step up and return to downtown. If it does not happen soon it may never happen.

Wisconsin’s economic growth was among the slowest in the country and lagged behind all nearby states in 2021, although the state did end the year on a strong note, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Private sector employment in Wisconsin grew 0.8% from January to February, one of the strongest increases on record and the eighth best in the country for the month, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Milwaukee County’s population decreased 10,090 in 2021 even as the number of births outpaced deaths and the county added more than 700 residents from outside the country, according to new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Wisconsin added 20,700 private sectors jobs in February, the largest one-month jump outside of the immediate aftermath of COVID-19 shutdowns.

Wisconsin lost 2,900 private sector jobs in January and the state’s unemployment rate declined to 3%.

Johnson Controls is suspending business operations in Russia as the country’s invasion of Ukraine continues, according to a statement released Tuesday.

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, Milwaukee-based Rockwell Automation and Racine-based Twin Disc, Inc. both announced Monday they are ending business activity in Russia and Belarus until further notice.

Madison-based fintech startup Quiver Quantitative has closed a $2 million funding round. The company gathers alternative stock data from sources across the internet and then pulls the information together into a free online dashboard.

As employers continue to struggle navigating through the ongoing workforce shortage, more businesses are looking at increasing wages to attract new employees.