City of Eau Claire continues to grow
Eau Claire County was also found to be the fourth fastest growing county in the state.
'For the county, the net migration is what stands out as more of a growth factor,' said Regional Economist for the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Tom Walsh.
However, what percentage of those migrating into the city would make up a part of the workforce is harder to come by. What he was able to point out was that a larger than average percentage of the population in Eau Claire is between the ages of 18 and 24.
'The City of Eau Claire will tend to have more people in the college-age demographic just because of the location of the university,' he said. 'For a reference point, the US and Wisconsin are at 9.1% and 9.3% in the 18 to 24 demographic, whereas the estimate for the city of Eau Claire is about 20%.'
While not everyone in this age demographic is in college, he said it is a little tricky to determine how much of this age demographic makes up what is considered to be the labor force.
'The labor force is the employed plus the unemployed,' he said. 'The unemployed is anyone that is actively seeking work. So a college student would be considered in the labor force if they're actively employed or if they're actively seeking work. They would not be in the labor force if they're not currently working or not currently looking for work.'
Walsh did not have data on the percentage of people in the city of Eau Claire who make up the workforce, but the 2025 Workforce Profile Snapshot for Eau Claire County produced by the Wisconsin DWD lists that the labor force participation rate for Eau Claire County is 67.8 percent.
This is 2.5 percentage points higher than the state's overall labor force participation rate.
The labor force participation rate is the percentage of those aged 16 and older who make up the labor force.
The unemployment rate for Eau Claire County is 2.7%.
Other things affecting the city and the county's workforce participation include the aging population.
'That's really being driven by the Baby Boom age demographic,' he said. 'When you have a lower percentage of your population that's in the prime working years, it has a labor market impact.'
He said the effects of the aging population include 'the tight labor market, the difficulty finding workers, and an increased in need for healthcare.'
Currently, about 28.7% of Eau Claire County is composed of individuals who are aged 55 or older according to the DWD's 2025 Workforce Profile Snapshot for Eau Claire County.
Walsh did point out that much of the data he was pulling was from the American Community Survey Estimate which would offer slightly different numbers than the data from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. Nonetheless, he said it offered some ability to make comparisons.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
State of Freight for August: Market outlook remains murky
FreightWaves' State of Freight webinar painted a picture of an industry stuck in neutral as summer draws to a close. Founder and CEO Craig Fuller and Head of Freight Market Intelligence Zach Strickland described a market plagued by soft demand, economic uncertainty, and stubborn structural challenges. Here are five key takeaways: Freight demand remains historically weak Strickland noted that national truckload volumes are down 14% to 15% year-over-year, with demand even lower than 2019. 'A lot of the people I talked to in the shipping community, they're still dealing with some levels of uncertainty, not just from their procurement strategies for the raw inputs and things in the goods economy, but also from their consumers in the downstream, because there's still some level of, 'We don't know where this economy is going,'' Strickland said. Despite seasonal catalysts like back-to-school and hurricane season, volumes show little sign of rebound. 'It has not been the freight market that we hoped for. That's the freight market we've got,' Fuller said. Consumer spending shifts are reshaping freight flows Retailers with strong grocery and staples sales are holding up, while discretionary goods are faltering, Fuller said. 'If you're in a big-box retailer with groceries, you're probably doing okay. But when you get into discretionary spending items, that's where the challenge is,' Fuller said. 'Restaurant failures and weak housing turnover are adding more pressure.' Housing and autos remain critical weak spots Both sectors, which drive a large share of freight, continue to struggle. Fuller estimated that as much as 20% of trucking freight is tied to housing. Without a housing recovery, 'it's hard to believe that a freight market would come back,' he said. Automakers are also showing signs of stress, particularly in the electric vehicle segment. 'One of the core theses of the Biden administration was that electric vehicles should replace internal combustion engines. And a lot of Biden's infrastructure bill — the core thesis of that was decarbonization and electrification of the auto and power sector. That is no longer a core. It is obvious that that has changed,' Fuller said. 'The Trump administration is far more focused on moving back towards a multi-platform energy process.' Carrier capacity is shrinking, but not enough to spark a recovery Tender rejection rates are higher than 2019, not because of rising freight volumes, but due to carriers exiting the market. 'The outbound tender rejection index is actually up year over year. And it's significantly higher than it was in 2019, where we were covering right under 4% at this point in 2019,' Strickland said. Strickland said more carriers exiting the market through closures and bankruptcies has helped increase tender rejection rates across the country. 'We're going to continue to see bankruptcies,' Strickland said, pointing to the recent Carroll Fulmer collapse. Fuller added that the industry is in a 'range-bound' cycle where volumes and rates remain stuck. Uncertainty dominates business decisions Executives across sectors are pulling back on investment, delaying hiring, and prioritizing cost-cutting. 'It's the uncertainty element. And hiring people — when you don't know where things are headed, your natural inclination is to do nothing,' Fuller said. 'Once you resolve that things might get worse, you then resolve yourself to actually shrink, whether we're talking human capital or investments. That's what I think businesses have been doing for the last couple of quarters. That's why earnings look so great, because they're generating a lot of revenue and yet their costs are being turned out. What they're actually doing is they are sacrificing growth in the future by cutting back.' The post State of Freight for August: Market outlook remains murky appeared first on FreightWaves.
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
6,600 UNION PACIFIC TEAMSTERS RATIFY CONTRACT
Maintenance of Way Workers Represented by BMWED Secure Key Benefits NOVI, Mich., Aug. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Thousands of maintenance of way workers at Union Pacific (UP) have voted to ratify a strong new contract. They are represented by the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED) of the Teamsters Rail Conference. The contract victory comes as Union Pacific recently proposed a merger with Norfolk Southern. If approved, it would create the largest railroad in American history. "Sitting on the bargaining committee was an eye-opening experience — one that I am happy to have contributed to and had a voice in," said Lee Ziegler, a member of the Union Pacific bargaining committee and BMWED Lodge 899. "I'm glad that together we were able to come to a resolution that advances our wages and benefits." The new five-year agreement guarantees raises of 18.5 percent for the 6,600 Union Pacific Teamsters, as well as improved vacation policies, and health and welfare benefits. "On behalf of the entire BMWED, I would like to congratulate all 6,600 of our brothers and sisters for securing such a strong contract," said Tony Cardwell, President of the BMWED. "Especially with the proposed merger, it's more critical now than ever that our members' voices are heard and reflected. This agreement ensures this, and because of their hard work and unity, they will enjoy substantial improvements for years to come." Between the BMWED and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, over 23,000 Teamsters railroaders have ratified new labor agreements since the start of this year. Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents over 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit for more information. Follow us on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at Contact:Maura Drumm, (215) 510-3735MDrumm@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Redwood Trust Launches Reopening of $50 Million of 7.75% Convertible Senior Notes Due 2027
MILL VALLEY, Calif., August 21, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Redwood Trust, Inc. (NYSE: RWT; "Redwood" or the "Company") today announced that it plans to offer, subject to market and other conditions, $50 million aggregate principal amount of its 7.75% convertible senior notes due 2027 (the "Notes") in a direct placement registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Notes will be issued as a reopening of, and will be part of the same series as, the 7.75% convertible senior notes due 2027 that the Company originally issued in June 2022 (the "Initial Notes") and the 7.75% convertible senior notes due 2027 that the Company issued in October 2024 (the "Initial Additional Notes" and, together with the Initial Notes, the "Existing Notes"). Currently, $247,170,000 aggregate principal amount of Existing Notes are outstanding. Redwood intends to use the net proceeds from this offering for general corporate purposes, which may include (i) funding of Redwood's operating business and investment activity, which may include funding its residential and business purpose lending mortgage banking businesses, acquiring mortgage-backed securities for its investment portfolio, and funding strategic acquisitions and investments and/or (ii) the repayment of existing indebtedness, which may include the repurchase or repayment of a portion of the 5.75% exchangeable senior notes due 2025 issued by one of Redwood's subsidiaries. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities referred to in this press release, nor will there be any sale of any such securities, in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, sale or solicitation would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. About Redwood Trust Redwood Trust, Inc. (NYSE: RWT) is a specialty finance company focused on several distinct areas of housing credit where we provide liquidity to growing segments of the U.S. housing market not well served by government programs. We deliver customized housing credit investments to a diverse mix of investors, through our best-in-class securitization platforms, whole-loan distribution activities, joint ventures and our publicly traded shares. We operate through three core residential housing-focused operating platforms — Sequoia, Aspire, and CoreVest — alongside our complementary Redwood Investments portfolio which is primarily composed of assets we source through these platforms. In addition, through RWT Horizons®, our venture investing initiative, we invest in early-stage companies that have a direct nexus to our operating platforms. Our goal is to provide attractive returns to shareholders through a stable and growing stream of earnings and dividends, capital appreciation, and a commitment to technological innovation that facilitates risk-minded scale. Redwood Trust is internally managed and structured as a real estate investment trust ("REIT") for tax purposes. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, such as statements related to the placement of Notes and the expected use of the net proceeds. Forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties. Redwood's actual results may differ materially from those projected, and Redwood cautions investors not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this release. Forward-looking statements are not historical in nature and can be identified by words such as "anticipate," "estimate," "will," "should," "expect," "believe," "intend," "seek," "plan," and similar expressions or their negative forms, or by references to strategy, plans, or intentions. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including, among other things, those described in Redwood's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Redwood undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. View source version on Contacts Kaitlyn MauritzHead of Investor RelationsPhone: (866) 269-4976Email: investorrelations@
