131


BusINESS AND INDUSTRY: WISCONSIN MANUFACTURING


      Table 5: Wisconsin Employment by Industry, 1975-1985
                                       1975            1980            1985

Total Employment                     1.599.873       1,883,577       1,923,569
Agriculture                             5.399          12,252           15,689
Mining                                  2.610           2,563           
1,887
Construction                           60,578          70,083          64,674
Manufacturing                         509,022         560,589          512,683
Transportation, Communications         71,518          81,719           87,567
and Public Utilities
Wholesale Trade                        83,888          96,074           99,780
Retail Trade                          290,451          341,249         365,295
Finance, Insurance and Real            74,366           93,149         101,071
Estate
Services                              253,638          335,090         383,736
Government                             248,311         290,810         291,121
All data average monthly employment for the year.
Source: Wisconsin Department of Industry, Labor and Human Relations.


direction -   and they have in recent years -   Wisconsin should benefit.
If
high real interest rates, an overvalued dollar, and $200 billion federal
deficits
caused most of the damage in the 1980-83 period, the reverse circumstances
should help in the future. At the beginning of 1987, interest rates were
down
drastically and the value of the dollar was falling. Federal policymakers
con-
tinue to hold out hope that a balanced budget is in the offing. Wisconsin
is
one state that will benefit dramatically if these changes continue in the
current
direction.
    There has already been evidence of changing economic fortunes for Wis-
 consin manufacturing. The dollar has been falling substantially against
for-
 eign currencies, making Wisconsin products more competitive. Wisconsin
 ranks 13th in the value of exports and the falling dollar is beginning to
im-
 prove sales abroad for many of our state's leading international companies.


     Table 6: Wisconsin Manufacturing Employment, 1975-1985
                                        1975             1980           
1985
  Total Manufacturing                   509,022         560,589         512,683
  Nonelectrical Machinery               112,674         126,622         101.300
  Food and Kindred Products              61,050          64,566         
61,201
  Fabricated Metals Products             51,558          58,383         
51,198
  Electrical Machinery                   45,562          56,530         
49,867
  Paper                                  41,823          47,888         
47,903
  Printing and Publishing                27,749          32,126         
37,979
  Lumber and Wood                        17,979          20,782         
22,705
  Primary Metals                         25,967          26,131         
 18,614
  All Other                             124,660         127,561         
121,916
  All data average monthly employment for the year.
  Source: Wisconsin Department of Industry, Labor and Human Relations.