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Survey: Wisconsin businesses say school district plans impact workforce

opensign
Posted at 12:05 PM, Aug 26, 2020
and last updated 2020-08-26 13:05:49-04

OSHKOSH (NBC 26) -- Results from a new survey by University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh shows how access to childcare is impacting businesses as they work to bounce back from COVID-19.

Specifically, UW-Oshkoksh says 43 percent of Wisconsin business leaders responding to the survey believe their local school district’s plans would have significant impact on workforce availability.

Another one-third of respondents were still unsure about the impact, said Jeffrey Sachse, interim director of UW-Oshkoksh’s Center for Customized Research and Services.

“This comes as most businesses report fewer than a quarter of their employees normally face childcare needs with typical accommodations including scheduling changes or flexible hours,” Sachse said. “This is poised to again be a significant issue as businesses generally are ill-equipped to offer other accommodations at the same time that the state’s childcare infrastructure is strained beyond capacity.”

This is UW-Oshkosh's fifth survey measuring the economic impact of COVID-19 in Wisconsin. Businesses representing 39,705 employees across Wisconsin responded to the survey, which UW-Oshkosh said was administered from August 6 to 21.

To look at the results of the survey, click here.