Employment Ethics vs Work Ethic: Assessing Wisconsin’s Labor Market Wages to a Needs-Based Ethical Wage

Abstract

The following study looks to assess the employment ethics of employers in Wisconsin by assessing how the wage health of the state has changed from 2001 to 2021. It does so by establishing a needs-based ethical wage, a minimum level of income that would allow anyone working 40-hours a week, regardless of position or number of employers, to meet all their needs if broadly accepted budgetary practices are followed. Although a needs-based ethical wage is established for an individual, since a family is the cornerstone to the sustainability of a society this study also considers a needs-based ethical wage that could support a family of four. The needs-based ethical wage for an individual and a family is then compared to entry-level and median-level wages as well as the real median income of families within the state of Wisconsin to see how well employers are empowering their employees to meet their needs within the state.