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Wisconsin Job Watch
A new monthly publication that provides a snapshot of the effects of the recession on Wisconsin jobs.
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Welcome to COWS
COWS is a national policy center and field laboratory for high-road economic development — a competitive market economy of shared prosperity, environmental sustainability, and capable democratic government.
COWS' work is collaborative, experimental, and evidence-driven. Working with business, government, labor, and communities, we try out new ideas, test their effectiveness, and disseminate those with promise. We believe that the best way to predict the future is to start making it, particularly in our states and metro regions.
Some areas of COWS' program focus are:
- Economic and workforce development
- Sectoral strategies and career pathways
- Clean energy and energy efficiency
- Labor markets and job improvement
- Strategies for improving low-wage work
COWS is based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, famous for the “Wisconsin Idea” that the University should help informed democratic experiment. Since its founding 18 years ago, COWS has often been called “the Wisconsin Idea in action.”
COWS is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan, educational and charitable organization. Its budget comes from foundation and individual gifts and grants and technical assistance contracts.
Keeping Up with COWS
Our e-newsletter, COWS Notes, is an easy way to keep informed about what's going on at COWS.
You can also follow our updates on Facebook and Twitter.
The State of Working Wisconsin
The State of Working Wisconsin tells a compelling story about the status of jobs and workers in Wisconsin. Visit The State of Working Wisconsin web page for more information. Or, follow the links below to download the 2008 report and executive summary, or the new 2009 Update.
- The State of Working Wisconsin - Update 2009
- The State of Working Wisconsin 2008 - Full Report
- The State of Working Wisconsin 2008 - Executive Summary
Jobs at COWS
To learn about current employment opportunities, click here.
new at COWSWisconsin's Forgotten Middle-Skill Jobs projects more than 426,000 "middle-skill" job openings for the state by 2016. - read more - The State of Working Wisconsin - Update 2009 reports on key trends affecting Wisconsin workers and their families. - read more - Confronting the Gloves-Off Economy: America's Broken Labor Standards and How to Fix Them provides a comprehensive yet compact summary of gloves-off practices, the workers who are affected by them, and strategies for enforcing workplace standards. - read more - Madison Area Technical College's Science/Math Bridge evaluates the pilot Bridge initiative, designed to increase opportunities for lower-skill individuals to access - and succeed in - the college's science-based postsecondary programs. - read more - Raising Wisconsin's Minimum Wage makes the case for a higher minimum wage in Wisconsin. - read more - Reconstructing the Local Labor Market: The Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership and BIG STEP discusses the formation and maturation of the WRTP/BIG STEP as a key labor market intermediary in the Milwaukee regional economy. - read more - featured newsPew: Facts Show Wisconsin Faces Serious Fiscal and Economic Challenges11/12/2009- WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Susan Urahn, managing director of the Pew Center on the States, issued the following statement today responding to claims made by Wisconsin Department... Job loss building right in front of our eyes10/23/2009- Twenty-thousand jobs were lost in Wisconsin from August to September according to a new report by the Center on Wisconsin Strategy. This followed a period of some leveling off in employment. Manufa... Demand outstrips supply for middle-skill workers10/15/2009- The scene at Bay View High School Wednesday provided a backdrop to research showing a growing need in Wisconsin for middle-skill workers with more than a high school diploma and less than a bachelo... |