ICYMI: Republicans, Business Owners Call to Get Wisconsin Working Again

[Madison, WI] – In case you missed it, business owners and Republicans agree that it’s time to get Wisconsin working again. Yesterday, 50 chambers of commerce from across Wisconsin called on Gov. Tony Evers to join the 21 states who have opted out of the additional federal incentives that encourage workers to stay home as businesses struggle with labor shortages.

This comes after Wisconsin’s Republican congressional delegation sent a letter to Tony Evers on Friday asking him to get government out of the way of allowing small businesses to return to normalcy. After Evers kept Wisconsin’s economy locked down during the onset of the pandemic, he should be leading the charge in ensuring that businesses can operate fully once again. It’s time to get Wisconsin back to business and ensure that all workers are able to contribute.

Read more from NBC 15 below:

50 Chambers of Commerce ask Wisconsin to end federal unemployment benefit
NBC 15
Nick Viviani
May 17, 2021

Dozens of Wisconsin chambers of commerce have banded together to urge Gov. Tony Evers and state lawmakers to stop paying the additional $300 per week in federal pandemic-related unemployment benefits.

The organizations argue pulling the benefit will encourage people to enter the workforce and curb the labor shortage its member businesses are experiencing. Their joint letter noted the shortfall of workers is not related to the pandemic, stating that businesses were hard-pressed to find workers prior to the spread of coronavirus.

The letter contends the $300 per week additional benefit was not needed in the state at the time it was passed and means “businesses are competing against government benefits that incentivize people to stay home.”

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The state Chamber of Commerce, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, which was one of the fifty signatories to the letter, also sent its own letter to Evers last week reiterating its claim that the “inability of employers to find workers has reached a crisis level in Wisconsin.”

Noah Williams, an economics professor at UW-Madison and director at the Center for Research on the Wisconsin Economy, told NBC15 News’ Michelle Baik at that time unemployment benefits are not the only reason why there is a reduction in labor supply.

“Another one certainly has been the delayed reopenings of schools or even the hybrid plan that most schools are on here now in the state or certainly in the area, which does increase requirements for childcare and so people may not be able to go back to work full time,” he said.