Opportunity Wisconsin also releases new graphic outlining the tough choices Wisconsin workers continue to face as corporations get billions
MADISON, Wis. — Today, as President Trump took a Rose Garden victory lap on everything from COVID-19, to racial inequality and the economy - even going so far as to say this is a “great day” for George Floyd - Opportunity Wisconsin released the following statement on the May jobs report which shows unemployment is still the highest it’s been since the Great Depression. While the numbers indicate the unemployment rate for white Americans was 12.4% in May, it was 17.6% for Hispanics and 16.8% for African-Americans.
“While President Trump desperately wants us to believe the American economy is on the road to recovery after his mishandling of the COVID-19 crisis, today’s jobs report tells a very different story,” said Kate Beaton, Opportunity Wisconsin steering committee member and Eau Claire alderperson. “Not only are BIPOC in America facing staggering death rates during this pandemic, they are also continuing to see skyrocketing unemployment numbers. Economic recovery doesn’t mean opportunity for some, it must mean opportunity for all. Now, more than ever, it should be clear that policymakers should focus on working Wisconsinites and reject President Trump’s attempts to placate Wall Street and give big corporations more handouts.”
Congress must move quickly to put money into families’ pockets, prevent economic freefall and collapse, and fix the underlying economic problems that have made this crisis so much worse than it needed to be. Opportunity Wisconsin recently sent a letter to Congressional leaders demanding support for working Wisconsinites in the HEROES Act, which has yet to be taken up by the Senate.
Last month, Opportunity Wisconsin unveiled a new website to share updated and aggregated job data from across the state. The website includes data visualizations on total layoffs during the coronavirus pandemic, layoffs over time by company, layoffs broken down by notice type, companies with the highest number of total layoffs, and several others.
While Wisconsin workers continue to suffer, President Trump continues his push to cut off unemployment benefits and force workers back on the job before it’s safe. Today Opportunity Wisconsin also released the following graphic outlining the tough choices Wisconsin workers continue to face as corporations get billions.
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About Opportunity Wisconsin
Opportunity Wisconsin is a coalition of Wisconsin residents fighting for an economy that works for working people. Through our stories, we’re elevating the real consequences of the destructive economic policies championed by President Trump and his allies these past three years, and showing how they have made Wisconsin’s economy worse off. Join us in demanding our elected officials focus more on growing the economy for middle class folks and expanding opportunity for all Wisconsinites, not just the wealthy few. To learn more about Opportunity Wisconsin, visit OpportunityWisconsin.org or stay connected on Twitter at @OpportunityWI and on Facebook at Facebook.com/OpportunityWI.