Dear Friends,

Not only is Wisconsin on a record-breaking streak of six straight months of unemployment lower than 3.0%, but preliminary unemployment is down in every metro area in the state. July 2018 rates are down in all 12 metro regions of Wisconsin compared to July 2017.

Manufacturing is really taking off in our state. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Wisconsin added 21,300 manufacturing jobs from July 2017 to July 2018. That ranks us second in the nation, just behind Texas which added 21,400 in the same time period. We also rank 6th nationally in percent grown in the industry over the last three months.

Not long ago, the naysayers said manufacturing was over in Wisconsin. They were wrong.

Thanks to careful budgeting and common-sense reforms, we've dramatically improved the business climate in Wisconsin. We've gone from unemployment higher than 9% to our record-setting streak of lower than 3% unemployment. That's a remarkable turnaround!

As always, if you have any concerns or ideas on how to improve our great state, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone at 608-266-5830 or by email at Sen.Darling@legis.wi.gov .

On, Wisconsin!

Alberta
Juvenile Corrections Study Committee Meets
This week, the Juvenile Corrections Study Committee met again to continue to look for ways to improve our juvenile justice system. The study committee is part of Wisconsin Act 185, which Governor Walker signed into law in back in March. The act closes the Lincoln Hills youth prison in 2021 and assigned this committee to develop the programs and facilities that will replace the current structure.

I believe we are making strong progress to make sure both the juveniles and our public are safe.
Darling named "Friend of Family Medicine"
A big thank you to the Wisconsin Academy of Family Physicians (WAFP) who named me a "Friend of Family Medicine" for my work in promoting effective health care policy this session. The association has over 2,900 members and is the single largest physician specialty group in Wisconsin.

I was proud to work on issues that are important to the WAFP including the expansion of the Child Psychiatry Consultation Program in the budget and continuing our fight against the Opioid crisis.

This is a tremendous honor and I'm very grateful for the recognition.
Wisconsin Proud!
  • Wisconsin's unemployment rate remained below 3% for six consecutive months.
  • Wisconsin added 21,300 manufacturing jobs from July 2017 to July 2018. That ranks us second in the nation, just behind Texas which added 21,400 in the same time period.
  • Business Insider ranked Wisconsin's economy as the 10th best in the nation.
  • Fifty of Wisconsin's 72 counties met or broke their all-time low unemployment rates in May.
  • CNBC ranks Wisconsin as the 17th best state in the nation for business.
  • All 12 of the state's metro areas and all our 32 largest cities have seen a year-over-year drop in unemployment. 
  • The number of people employed in Wisconsin is at an all-time high of 3,090,200, and the unemployment rate is at all-time low at 2.8% for May.
  • Construction wages in Wisconsin are up 7.5% from 2016-2017.
  • Wisconsin ranks 7th in manufacturing job creation from 2016-17, and wages are up 15% since 2010.
Around the 8th...