Great news for the
people of Wisconsin! The most recent numbers released by the Department of
Workforce Development show our
unemployment rate dropped – again – to 3.4% in March. That’s the lowest our
unemployment rate has been since 2000.
Wisconsin is working.
In fact, our Labor Force Participation rate improved as well, rising to 68.4% - beating the national rate by 5.4%! We’re ranked in the top ten states for
percentage of people in our workforce and number of manufacturing jobs since we
took office.
We’ve come a long way. When
we first took office, Wisconsin’s unemployment rate was 8.1%. But our
common-sense reforms led us to a strong economy, and our wise fiscal management
resulted in a positive budget outlook.
I’m more excited about
the future of our state than ever before. We’re doing positive things and seeing
great results, but there is more work to be done. Together, we are working and
winning for Wisconsin.
Yesterday, I joined
Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch and several other key state leaders in
traveling throughout Wisconsin to award 21 school districts with Fab Lab
Grants.
Fab labs, or
fabrication laboratories, are high-tech workshops in high schools that provide
hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math learning for our students.
These grants help
school districts purchase equipment to develop a fab lab or expand an existing
one. With these latest awards, a total of 34 school districts have received grants.
So what does this mean?
Well, it ultimately means our students are getting a jump-start by receiving
real-life experience in the global economy before they even graduate high
school. This is a win-win because they equip our kids with the practical
education they need to compete for the jobs of the future in our rapidly growing,
technology-driven world.
To view the 21 school
districts that received Fab Lab Grants yesterday, click here.
You can also learn more about fab labs below.
We enjoy sharing all the great news about our state with you. It is an honor to serve as your Governor and represent the people of Wisconsin.
Sincerely,
 Governor Scott Walker
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