Milwaukee Area Above State Average for Remote Work
Wisconsin Policy Forum report shows the Milwaukee metro area with a large percentage of the state's remote workers.
Laptop. (CC0 Public Domain)
When it comes to remote work, a new report indicates the Milwaukee area was slightly above average during the pandemic and that the trend has likely stayed the same.
The Wisconsin Policy Forum, a non-partisan think tank, used data from surveys conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, private polling and other research to compile the report.
Milwaukee County ranked fifth in the state for the percentage of workers, 16 years and older, who said they were primarily working from home; 17.1% of Milwaukee respondents answered “yes” compared to the state average of 14.8%, according to data from the 2021 American Communities Survey (ACS) conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Dane County had the highest rate of remote workers, with 24.4%. But, with the exception of St. Croix, the remaining counties in the top five for remote work were all part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area (Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee).
This was the last year the ACS was properly conducted, according to the policy forum report. But the census bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, introduced in 2020, shows little change since 2021 in Wisconsin remote work. Meanwhile, a survey by Gallup from June 2022 shows that nearly 50% of 8,000 workers surveyed nationally reported “hybrid” work arrangements with time split between the office and home.
Census Bureau data does show that remote work exploded at the start of the pandemic. In 2019, less than 6% of respondents to the ACS were working from home. So the shift in work arrangements is still as new as it is massive.
But, as the report notes, this isn’t the case everywhere. The report states that differences in local economies are “likely the primary factor” behind differences in rates of remote workers. As the job sectors that are more “remote-capable” than others make up a larger percentage of the employment mix in places like Dane County than Dodge County.
It’s been widely reported that remote work’s impact is being felt by cities in their downtown office markets and their transit systems. In Milwaukee, 2022 was a rough year for downtown office vacancy. But a handful of large companies, like Fiserv and Northwestern Mutual, have announced major investments in downtown, potentially signaling a turnaround in the coming years.
The transit system, on the other hand, saw its ridership plummet at the outset of the pandemic. And despite slowly regaining some of those lost riders, it has yet to reach pre-pandemic numbers for ridership. Transit system officials hope that new investments in transit technology like the Bus Rapid Transit and a new mobile app and fare system will help ridership return.
You can read the full report on Urban Milwaukee.
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I guess we have yet to see how remote work will impact cities. In the short term, it has certainly upset the “commute paradigm” of transit patterns, restaurant/coffee/retail purchases, and the role of downtown in general. My personal prediction is that remote work will continue to grow as the preferred choice for people who have that option, at least 3-4 days per week. (I also believe many sectors will shift to 4-day work weeks in the next generation, but that’s another story!)
We all have different lifestyle preferences, but I think remote work bodes well for neighborhoods that provide remote workers with ready access to services and amenities. My own experience working remotely for three years has been great because I don’t live in isolation where there is only residential development. I am in ridiculously close walking distance to grocery stores, fitness, restaurants, vets and daycare for my pooch, my own doctor and dentist. As a single remote worker, it is hugely important for me to be able to walk out my door and engage with neighbors and society, and then get back to work. My work-(rest of) life balance has never been better. No commute time, everything around me…I am truly blessed.
For the same reasons, I predict that any downtown, including Milwaukee’s can actually benefit from remote working if the community continues to support downtown housing and amenities. This can be a potential win-win for both neighborhoods and downtown.
I’ve been down on Milwaukee considering “paying” remote workers to move there, simply because of the brand ramifications for the City. It sounds desperate, and it places Milwaukee among a group of other “desperate” places like Paducah, Tulsa, Topeka, Newton, IA and North Platte, NE. However, I’m coming around to doing some, properly framed and executed. See here:
https://www.governing.com/work/how-relocation-incentives-are-fueling-local-economic-growth
It’s generally far too early to track the success/impact of these programs. Topeka was among the earliest and rode a wave of national publicity for its program. It related about 70 workers/families in two years. Others have many fewer relocations.p, and it takes a lot of work. Per the above link:
“Considerable time is spent interviewing candidates for the remote worker program. ‘We are definitely looking at their values, how they engage their community and their volunteerism,’ says Ross. ‘If you’re going to invest in a person, you’re not just bringing wages, you’re bringing intellectual and emotional capital to a community.’”
Surely, MKE can come up with a “program” or “center” that doesn’t sound like it’s simply paying people to move there, but is supporting remote workers (and other potential Cream City migrants) in their pursuit of a great place to live and work. 😉