Ideas

Wisconsin's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate spiked to 7.0 percent in January, up from 6.7 percent in December, according to preliminary estimates released by the state Department of Workforce Development on Thursday.

In the wake of the District IV Court of Appeals order denying the State's request to stay the Dane County judge's decision declaring parts of Act 10 unconstitutional, labor advocates have made incorrect claims about the effect of that decision.

There’s been a lot of talk about reforming the Federal Tax Code in the Fiscal Cliff and Sequester debates and now it appears that Wisconsin may be getting in on the act. Gov. Walker’s budget included a very modest reduction in the Wisconsin income tax rates and it appears that the legislature wants to go further.

Milwaukee-based Artisan Partners Asset Management Inc. held an initial public offering last week with shares priced at $30 on the New York Stock Exchange. The share price quickly rose to $36.

Glendale-based Johnson Controls Inc. is considering a divestiture of its automotive electronics business.

Racine-based Johnson Financial Group announced the appointment of Todd Shaffer as chief risk officer for the company.

BMO Private Bank announced it has hired Peter Koleske as vice president and private banker in Milwaukee.

John Blau has been appointed to the newly created position of vice president and chief credit officer at Pewaukee-based Foundations Bank.

Standard & Poors has upgraded its rating of MGIC Investment Corp. to B-, up from CCC+, as a result of the company’s capital raise last week.

Brookfield-based Advantage Federal Resourcing has been acquired by Florida workforce solutions company STS Technical Services.