Last week, the Department of Workforce Development announced that the unemployment rate in Wisconsin fell to a record low of 2.5% in March. That’s a full percentage point lower that the national rate during the same month. A low unemployment rate is certainly good news for people looking for a job, but today’s guest says “it matters for all workers, because when the line at the door is short, it means they have more leverage to make more of their jobs.” Laura Dresser, Associate Director of Center On Wisconsin Strategy (COWS), says this is an opportunity for a rebalancing of power in the workforce.

Laura joins us to talk about collective action in a tight labor market, impacts of the pandemic on labor, and reality of low wage jobs.

Laura Dresser is the Associate Director of Center On Wisconsin Strategy (COWS). COWS is a UW Madison think-and-do tank where Laura has worked since 1995. She is also an Assistant Clinical Professor at the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work.

Photo by Ernie Journeys on Unsplash

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