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Monday 8:30am - 5pm Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm Thursday 8:30am - 5pm Friday 8:30am - 5pm

Wisconsin Policy Forum

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Wisconsin Policy Forum

The Wisconsin Policy Forum is a nonpartisan, statewide public policy research organization.

08/12/2026

"A new report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum finds that Wisconsin has the second biggest net loss of young, educated workers in the country, surpassed only by North Dakota."

Wisconsin Public Radio covers our latest research (link in comments), which gives an update on a longstanding challenge in Wisconsin: brain drain.

While Wisconsin has a bigger brain drain challenge than most states, our report also looked at some mitigating factors, including the fact that Wisconsin outperforms the nation on rates of college completion.

“We start in a stronger position, and so even though we’re losing some of those adults, we end up looking pretty average on educational attainment," Forum Research Director Joe Peterangelo said.

Ultimately, the net loss of educated residents is a longstanding policy challenge for our state. Finding new ways to address it will be critical for our long-term economic growth. Our report also examines some approaches tried in other states.

08/11/2026

"Thousands of homeowners and businesses across the region suffered damage in last year's August flood and so did local governments. While homeowners received federal assistance, not a single dollar went to local governments across Wisconsin.

"In October, FEMA denied funding for all public infrastructure statewide.

"A Wisconsin Policy Forum study shows the state's estimated damage costs met the threshold to receive federal funding."

Check out this coverage of our recent research via TMJ4 News (link in comments).

State funds covered some local government costs. Still, our research found that recovering from future disasters without federal resources may be difficult.

08/10/2026

The Forum is heading up north to discuss our research!

Employers in northwest Wisconsin face distinct challenges in utilizing state apprenticeship programs. On Aug. 27, we'll be in Hayward to discuss these findings -- plus potential next steps -- with partners including WRTP / BIG STEP.

Even as apprenticeship participation in Wisconsin is at record highs, a recent Forum report found many employers face barriers to creating apprenticeship positions. This is particularly true in northwest Wisconsin, where apprenticeship participation lags the rest of the state.

We will present our research findings at this upcoming event, which will also feature an employer panel, audience Q&A, and networking opportunities. Click the link in the comments to learn more, or to register!

08/07/2026

TODAY IS THE DEADLINE to submit nominations for the 2026 Salute to Local Government awards!

These awards, given in partnership with the La Follette School of Public Affairs: UW-Madison, honor excellence in local and state government, school districts and their employees across Wisconsin.

Click the link in the comments to submit an award nomination today -- or to share it with others.

08/06/2026

"Wisconsin continues to rank among the states with the nation’s highest levels of “brain drain”...

"But a new Wisconsin Policy Forum analysis released Wednesday suggests the state’s overall talent picture is more balanced than at first glance."

Check out this BizTimes Milwaukee coverage of our latest research (see link in comments). We found that Wisconsin-born adults who have moved to other states are more likely to be college educated than their counterparts born in other states who move to Wisconsin, producing a net brain drain rate that is among the worst in the nation.

At the same time, people born in Wisconsin are more highly educated than Americans overall, and at least since 2020, the state has added more residents than it has lost through domestic migration. As a result, educational attainment among current Wisconsin residents remains close to the national average.

08/05/2026

Our latest research finds that Wisconsin has a net brain drain rate that is among the worst in the nation.

Drawing from U.S. Census Bureau 2024 ACS five-year estimates, our analysis looks at U.S.-born adults ages 31-40. For each state, we compared the share of adults born in Wisconsin with at least a bachelor’s degree who now live elsewhere, relative to the share of those born in other states who now live here.

We estimate that 59.8% of Wisconsin-born adults aged 31 to 40 who now live in another state have a bachelor’s degree or higher. In contrast, an estimated 45.2% of adults in that age group who were born in another state but now live in Wisconsin hold a bachelor’s degree or higher -- a gap of 14.6 percentage points. By this measure, Wisconsin’s net brain drain ranks second-highest among the states, behind only North Dakota.

Wisconsin saw a pronounced net brain drain to Minnesota as well as to many states in the South and West. Conversely, Wisconsin experienced net brain gain from Illinois and other Midwestern states, including Iowa and Michigan.

Some mitigating factors are worth noting. People born in Wisconsin are more highly educated than Americans overall, and since 2020, the state has added residents via domestic migration. As a result, educational attainment among Wisconsinites remains near the national average.

The net loss of educated residents has been a longstanding policy challenge for Wisconsin, and finding new ways to address it will be critical for our long-term economic growth. For consideration, our report (link in comments) notes some steps that other states have taken.

08/04/2026

"Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) offenses reached an all-time high in Wisconsin in 2024 and remained elevated in 2025, according to a recent Wisconsin Policy Forum study. ...

"This growth can also be seen at the county levels. Oconto County saw an increase in OWI admission rates from 24 individuals in 2000 to 51 in 2024. Marinette County experienced an increase from 58 people in 2000 to 116 in 2024."

Check out the local coverage of our recent research via Peshtigo Times Printers & Publishers (see link in comments).

08/03/2026

👉👉NEW: The deadline to submit Salute to Local Government award nominations has been extended by one more week! The deadline is now Friday, Aug. 7 (see link in comments).

These awards honor excellence in local & state government, school districts and their employees across Wisconsin. Award categories recognize outstanding performance by local governments and school districts for innovative problem-solving, intergovernmental cooperation, advancing equity, and private-public cooperation.

In partnership with the La Follette School of Public Affairs: UW-Madison, we're excited to recognize excellence in innovation and/or management in state government. We also recognize public sector workers for individual excellence and as leader of the future.

You can help to recognize outstanding public servants across Wisconsin by offering your own Salute nominations -- or by spreading the word to others.

07/31/2026

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that a recent high-profile arrest is "reigniting questions about drunken driving laws in Wisconsin."

"A recent Wisconsin Policy Forum report found Wisconsin has enough people behind bars for OWI to fill the state's two largest prisons."

The number of people incarcerated in Wisconsin state prisons for intoxicated driving offenses hit a record high in 2024 and stayed elevated in 2025. Our research found that Wisconsin's long-term rise in incarceration for operating while intoxicated (OWI) was influenced by increasingly tough penalties for the most serious cases, as well as increasing prison admissions for new offenses.

07/30/2026

"A recent survey by the Wisconsin Policy Forum... indicates that while apprenticeship participation in the state is at a record high, with some 10,000 registered apprentices in over 200 career fields, northwest Wisconsin continues to lag behind the rest of the state."

Check out this coverage of our recent research via the Ashland Daily Press (link in comments).

We found that even while apprenticeship participation in Wisconsin is at record highs, many employers still have limited or no familiarity with apprenticeship programs. Many also face barriers to creating apprenticeship positions, particularly those in northwest Wisconsin.

Address

Milwaukee, WI
53203

Opening Hours

Monday	8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 5pm
Thursday	8:30am - 5pm
Friday	8:30am - 5pm

Website

http://wispolicyforum.org/

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