Economics
If Foxconn Builds It, Will Workers Come? Wisconsin Bets Yes
- Factory to seek thousands of workers amid tight labor market
- State may need to attract newcomers to fill positions
Foxconn to Open Plant in Wisconsin
This article is for subscribers only.
With U.S. unemployment near a 16-year low, it’s hard to imagine recruiting as many as 13,000 workers in any single area of the country would be easy. Wisconsinites say it can be done.
President Donald Trump’s announcement Wednesday that Apple supplier Foxconn Technology Group plans to construct a new factory in southeastern Wisconsin and add between 3,000 and 13,000 jobs raised some eyebrows among national economists, who have heard employers complain for years about the lack of skilled workers. Waves of retiring baby boomers and reports of job candidates failing drug tests exacerbate the scarcity amid a 4.4 percent jobless rate and near-record high openings.