Center for Labor Research and Education

In this research brief we provide estimates of safety net use among families of construction workers in Wisconsin. We find that 28% of families of construction workers in Wisconsin are enrolled in one or more safety net programs at a cost to the state and the federal government of $207 million per year. By comparison, among all Wisconsin workers, 26% have a family member enrolled in one or more safety net programs. Fifteen percent of construction workers lack health insurance, more than twice the rate for all workers in Wisconsin (7%).