Raising the Floor Milwaukee: Better Wages and Labor Standards for Low-Wage Workers

This report examines the decline of Milwaukee's economy over the past 30 years and evaluates the city's current challenges including high unemployment, low job quality, extreme racial inequality, and central city economic isolation. The report recommends overcoming these challenges by strengthening the labor market's floor through policies that raise the minimum wage, expand the prevailing wage, and combat wage theft. The report also provides evidence as to how raising the minimum wage benefits both businesses and the community.