Four economists called 2011 a mixed economic blessing for Wisconsin in the latest WisconsinEye By the Numbers feature. They noted that the addition of only 3,200 non-farm jobs was a setback for Gov. Scott Walker, who campaigned on a promise to create 250,000 new private-sector jobs by 2015. But they also saw hopeful manufacturing and real estate indicators.

Watch | Listen | Buy

User Agreement

This video/audio content is owned by WisconsinEye Public Affairs Network, Inc. and may not be used for commercial or political purposes, or otherwise reproduced, downloaded, distributed or used except in accordance with the WisconsinEye User Agreement. Click here to view the User Agreement. Check "Agree" if you agree to to the terms of the User Agreement; otherwise click "Disagree."

Agree Disagree

Panelists

Clare W. Zempel

Principal - Zempel Strategic

Laura Dresser, Ph.D.

Associate Director - Center on Wisconsin Strategy

Abdur Chowdhury, Ph.D.

Chair - Department of Economics - Marquette University

Tom Hefty

Retired CEO - Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Wisconsin

Co-chair - Gov. Doyle's Economic Growth Council (2003-05)

About the Host

Steven Walters has been a senior producer for WisconsinEye since 2009. He covered Wisconsin's Capitol for the Milwaukee Sentinel and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel between 1988 and 2009. After covering the Iowa Legislature in the 1970s, he was managing editor of the Waukesha Freeman newspaper.

WI Dept. of Workforce Development

Monthly report on unemployment statewide

Monthly employment change in WI cities

Federal Reserve Coincident Index (Dec 2011)

Center on WI Strategy Monthly Jobs Report

UW-Milwaukee Report on Drop in Employment of Milwaukee-area Black Males