The average wage in Green Bay, according to the most recent federal Bureau of Labor Statistics report, was $26.29 in 2022. The state Department of Workforce Development estimates that two adults working full-time earning $25.20 an hour each is just enough to be self-sufficient in a household with two children when factoring in the cost of housing, transportation, food and child care. “I’m just trying to make ends meet,” she said.īut government statistics show many in the community earn a lot less than she does. Pikka gets no child support, and she relies on her parents who live nearby to provide child care for the days she needs to be at a remote jobsite for days or even weeks at a time. But with two school-aged kids in her household, paying all of the bills is a stretch. As it is, she’s making just shy of $27 an hour. “I would be a journeywoman right now had I had a babysitting option so I could have still shown up for work and gained all those hours in the year - so that set me back,” the De Pere, Wisconsin resident said. “Our job should not dictate our lifestyle.”ĭespite changing careers nearly four years ago, she’s still earning apprentice wages due to setbacks during the pandemic when her youngest was in third grade and schools switched to distance learning. “Kids are coming home at that time, and we got the whole evening now together,” Pikka said. just in time to greet her two children from school. The single mother’s workday ends around 3 p.m. She left an office job in insurance and now enjoys being up early and working with her hands as part of a drywall finishing crew. Shannon Pikka loves the work-life balance of her job in construction. Subscribe to our newsletter to get our investigative stories and Friday news roundup. Wisconsin Watch is a member of the network. This story was produced as part of the NEW (Northeast Wisconsin) News Lab, a consortium of six news outlets covering northeastern Wisconsin.
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