MADISON – Governor Scott Walker released his Weekly Radio Address on Thursday titled, “Wisconsin Works for Everyone.”

Hi, Scott Walker here.

Thanks to our bold, conservative reforms, we have more people working in the state than ever before and Wisconsin’s unemployment rate is now down to 2.9% – the lowest in state history and well below the national rate of 4.1%.

On top of that, Wisconsin is Top-5 in the nation for the percentage of people in the workforce, and our continuing unemployment claims are at their lowest level since the 1970s.

This is great news for Wisconsin families, but we’re not done yet, because we want to ensure everyone on public assistance who is able to work is enabled to re-enter the workforce. With unemployment this low, we can’t afford to have anyone on the sidelines.

This week, I signed nine bills into law as part of our Wisconsin Works for Everyone welfare reform plan, a key part of our Ambitious Agenda for 2018.

You see, we believe public assistance should be a trampoline, not a hammock, which is why we enacted common sense reforms that will help move people from government dependence to true independence through the dignity of work.

We are maximizing work requirements and requiring able-bodied adults to participate in worker training programs to maintain FoodShare eligibility and help people get the training and skills they need to gain not just a job, but a family-supporting career. Since we started requiring employment and worker training as part of the FoodShare Employment and Training Program, more than 25,000 people have gained employment.

To protect Wisconsin’s hardworking taxpayers, we put asset limits on public assistance to ensure that only those who truly need assistance are receiving it, not people with big mansions and fancy cars.

We put a priority on the health and well-being of children and families across the state by providing incentives for healthy eating in our FoodShare program and by regaining child support compliance for those receiving Medicaid.

These initiatives reflect our commitment to implement innovative welfare-to-work-based solutions that reduce poverty by eliminating barriers and rewarding work.

As a national leader in welfare reform, we are enacting positive change that will continue to move Wisconsin Forward.

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