A new report issued earlier this week by Forward Analytics reveals troubling trends for the future of Wisconsin’s workforce landscape. The report shows that the ability of a state to naturally grow its workforce over time can be measured by comparing the number of residents under 16 years of age to the number who are 50 to 64 years of age. Many in this older group will likely leave the workforce over the ensuing 15 years and be replaced by those in the younger group. The larger the ratio, the greater ability to grow the labor force. Director of Research Dale Knapp summarized their findings by saying that “Wisconsin has too few young people to replace retiring baby boomers over the next 15 years, so the state must turn to migration to grow its workforce.” The full report can be found at https://files.constantcontact.com/77ea05ac001/f48a3b93-5dc0-4400-8276-64570b17888c.pdf
