Milwaukee City Wire

Mayor Tom Barrett recently addressed the number of Milwaukee's unfilled infrastructure jobs in a tweet, expressing concern that the city would be unable to utilize the benefits of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Milwaukee currently has a transitional employment program called Compete Milwaukee, which connects unemployed individuals with temporary work while also providing job training and career counseling, according to a press release from the city.

"Without skilled workers to fill the vast demand that will be created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, there is a serious risk of squandering our nation’s best chance at getting back on its feet," Barret stated on Twitter. "Milwaukee, one of America’s great industrial manufacturing cities, has not been immune to that trend. According to data from the @leagueofcities, more than 1,000 infrastructure jobs remained unfilled in the first quarter of 2021, a number expected to grow as the economy reopens. We’re trying to fix it, and quickly. The city has invested in enhanced skills training and education to give residents the tools to succeed in our community’s open infrastructure jobs.”

Additionally, the League of Wisconsin Municipalities was founded in 1898 to help facilitate the exchange of ideas between cities in Wisconsin.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was approved by the Senate in August and is currently awaiting House consideration, according to a report by Ameeican Action Forum.

The bill would provide federal funding to several Department of Transportation programs, including highway safety and rural bridge reconstruction.