It’s a good thing somebody’s keeping track of this, because it’s a huge wake-up call.

Monday Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) pointed out what it called a “historic, dangerous trend in the Wisconsin workforce.” Government employees now outnumber those working in manufacturing jobs in Wisconsin, for the first time since such record-keeping began.

James Buchen, WMC vice president for government relations noted something that ought to seem obvious but desperately needs to be said and repeated: “An economy that has more government jobs than manufacturing jobs cannot be sustained for the long term,” Buchen said. “Manufacturing is critical to the success of a strong economy.”

Amen.

WMC reported that Department of Workforce Development figures for November showed Wisconsin had 435,800 people employed in manufacturing and 438,200 government workers.
 
That’s roughly one in twelve Wisconsin residents. Measured against Wisconsin’s total land mass, it works out to slightly less than seven government employees per square mile.

What’s really disquieting is the self-perpetuating nature of the problem. One cause of manufacturing jobs disappearing is government employees peering over the shoulders of manufacturers and slowly, python-like, tightening the state’s grip on what they’re allowed to do and how they’re allowed to do it.

Controlling the Governor’s Office and both houses of the Legislature and walling off the judicial branch against any risk of competitive elections, the Party of Government practically has Wisconsin on autopilot for further deterioration. 

The closing paragraph from a WMC press release says it best:

“In the most recent legislative session, the Legislature and Governor approved more than $2 billion in higher taxes. They approved increased taxes on businesses, increased income tax rates, increased capital gains taxes, repealed property tax controls, approved health insurance mandates, approved expanded liability for employers, and increased state spending by 6.5 percent. ‘That’s created government jobs, and killed manufacturing jobs,’ Buchen said.