Workforce Development Area Directory

WDA 2 - Milwaukee County

Board Web Directory:

Milwaukee Area Workforce Development Board

Labor Market Economist

Tom Walsh

email or call (262) 956-6754

Tom Walsh is a Labor Market Economist of the Office of Economic Advisors. Tom started covering the Southeast, Milwaukee, and WOW Workforce Development Areas in March of 2019. Prior to this position, he was a Data Analyst for Milwaukee Area Technical College and worked in multiple roles for OEA. Tom holds B.S. in Economics and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse (2009) and an MBA with a Data Analytics Emphasis from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater (2017).

Description

The Milwaukee Workforce Development Area (WDA) stands out as the state's only single-county WDA. Milwaukee, at just 242 square miles, is one of the state's smallest counties in terms of land area, but is by far the largest in terms of population and jobs. The City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin's most populous, is the economic and cultural center of the region and the state. It is home to five Fortune 500 companies, six doctorate-granting colleges and universities, and two major professional sports teams.

Milwaukee is a port city located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan at the confluence of several large, navigable rivers. The city's favorable location, abundance of fresh water, and large, diverse, and productive population historically gave rise to the major industries of brewing and later, durable goods manufacturing. While manufacturing remains an important part of the local economy, employing about one tenth of the county's workforce, Milwaukee's economy has evolved and diversified and now provides more services than goods. Professional, business, education, and health services employ almost half of the county's workforce. In looking toward the future, Milwaukee looks to its past and intends to take advantage of the unique assets that contributed to its original growth. Milwaukee's advantageous location amid abundant, scenic sources of fresh water and an even larger, more diverse and more productive population will be utilized to foster economic expansion in water technologies, food production and tourism.

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State Information

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