The Long-Term Effects Of The Foxconn Incentive Package On Wisconsin’s Budget, Construction Wage Theft, Transactional Marriages

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Workers on federally-funded construction projects are guaranteed certain wages, but a new report finds that contractors commonly shortchange their employees. We find out how they manage to do so and how the Labor Department is responding. We also talk with a guest who thinks that America’s thin social safety net leads many to view marriage through an economic lens. Plus, we talk to a Wisconsin political reporter about what economists and state leaders are saying about the Foxconn incentive package’s long-term effects on the state budget.

Featured in this Show

  • Foxconn Incentive Package's Long-Term Effect On Wisconsin's Budget

    An analysis of the incentive deal to lure electronics manufacturer Foxconn to build a plant in Wisconsin shows it could put a $1 billion strain on the state budget over the next decade. The incentive deal calls for Wisconsin to give $2.85 billion in state tax credits to the company over the next 15 years. We get the details from a Wisconsin political reporter.

  • Despite Regulations, Wage Theft A Problem For Construction Workers

    A new report from the Center for Public Integrity finds that construction contractors commonly shortchange their workers, despite federal labor protections. The author of the report talks about the different ways wage theft can happen and why preventing it is an uphill battle for regulators.

  • What The Disappearance Of Good Jobs For The Working Class Means For Marriage

    In recent decades, the number of Americans who marry has greatly declined, according to Pew Research Center Social and Demographic Trends. But, something that’s newer is the demographic leading the shift from marriage. Just decades ago, Americans without college degrees were much more likely to be married than those with more education, but Pew data shows that’s no longer the case. Our guest sociologist says this isn’t just because of a change in cultural values; rather, the core issue is the disappearance of good jobs for people with less education. We discuss how this has made it more difficult for them to start and maintain relationships and what the broader effects on society are.

Episode Credits

  • Veronica Rueckert Host
  • Amanda Magnus Producer
  • Dean Knetter Producer
  • Breann Schossow Producer
  • Mark Sommerhauser Guest
  • Maryam Jameel Guest
  • Victor Tan Chen Guest

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