• In the skilled and semi-skilled occupations, minorities secured 84 percent of net job increases for operatives, 35 percent of increased managerial jobs, 31 percent of increased jobs for technicians, and 19 percent of jobs for professionals. Minorities also gained over half (59 percent) of jobs for unskilled laborers and 45 percent of service work jobs in larger companies.

• Minorities dominated the expansion in manufacturing jobs seen in the Milwaukee metro area. Minorities gained 4,823 more jobs for larger manufacturing firms while white workers showed a net decline of 262 jobs. Minorities also showed increases in service companies (where they acquired 80 percent of net new jobs) and in retail trade (where they acquired 40 percent of net new jobs with larger companies).

• Most of the job growth for semi-skilled operatives occurred in larger companies in the WOW counties. While transportation is often cited as a reason for smaller numbers of minorities employed in outlying firms, many of these companies showed large increases in employment of minorities as operatives and laborers.

• Women gained 85 percent of the increased positions for managers and officials in the metro area. Women made substantial gains in managerial jobs in the WOW counties, particularly in retail trade, printing and publishing, and in durable manufacturing.

• Women acquired most of the net new jobs in non-durable manufacturing and took most of the losses in jobs in the financial sector.

• Asian workers showed a 74 percent increase in employment with larger companies from 1992 to 1996, with notable increases as professionals, operatives and laborers. The number of Asian men and women employed in the WOW counties more than doubled from 1992 to 1996.

• Hispanic workers showed 66 percent more jobs with larger Milwaukee area companies. Hispanic males passed all other racial/ethnic groups (including white men) in gaining jobs as semi-skilled operatives. Hispanic women had their largest increases as unskilled laborers and service workers.

• African Americans gained 17 percent more jobs with larger companies from 1992 to 1996. Black males moved into jobs for laborers, semi-skilled operatives, and service workers. The largest occupational growth areas for black women were in service and sales work.

• Over half of the job growth for Native American workers employed in larger companies occurred in the WOW counties, and much of this growth was for female service workers.

• In spite of notable progress toward diversity by many companies, 6 percent of metro area companies with 100 or more employees reported no minorities in their workforce.

• White males and females still dominate the labor force in larger companies in Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington counties, holding 90 percent of all jobs. White workers held 79 percent of jobs in Milwaukee County companies.

• In the WOW counties, two-thirds (69 percent) of larger companies employed minorities for one percent or fewer of their managerial positions. Even in Milwaukee County, 52 percent of the larger companies reported that minorities made up one percent or fewer of their managers.

Metro Area Job Growth

• For the metro area 90 percent of the net job growth in larger companies occurred in the WOW (Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington) counties. Larger companies in Milwaukee County showed only a 1 percent net increase of workers (up by 2,417 workers), compared to a 24 percent increase (up by 21,910 workers) in the outlying counties from 1992 to 1996.

• The greatest job expansion among the larger companies was seen in retail trade companies (9,032 more jobs) and wholesale trade companies (4,640 more jobs). Declines in total employees were shown for larger financial firms.

Occupational Changes

• The greatest job growth in larger Milwaukee area companies was reported for college-trained professional jobs. Larger companies reported a net increase of 6,251 workers in professional jobs. In contrast to managerial job growth which occurred almost entirely in the outlying counties, nearly 40 percent of the net growth in professional jobs occurred in Milwaukee County.

• Other occupational areas showing substantial growth included service workers, laborers, operatives and sales workers.

• Larger Milwaukee area companies reported net decreases in the numbers of workers employed as office and clerical workers. The decline in these jobs was concentrated in Milwaukee County companies (which reported 4,197 fewer positions in 1996 than in 1992), while larger companies in the WOW counties showed an increase of 1,482 more clerical and office jobs. The heaviest drops were in the finance, insurance and real estate industries.

• The use of laborers by larger companies increased in Milwaukee County (which showed 1,880 more jobs from 1992 to 1996) and in the WOW counties (which showed 3,276 more jobs).

See the Technical Notes in the full report for information on the EEO-1 files used to prepare this analysis. Racial/ethnic categories are based on visual surveys of the workforce or employment records according to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission definitions. Companies report employees by actual major job activity and not by company job titles or worker's training if different from primary duties performed. Occupational groupings are defined by the EEOC.

Page updated March 2008
Employment and Training Institute
School of Continuing Education
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Direct comments to eti@uwm.edu