This study evaluates the prospects for the City of Milwaukee given its historic status as a blue-collar economy, the period of economic decline during 1970-2000, and its current profile. The authors focus on the city because they believe that using the traditional analysis of the metro economy can mask serious problems affecting growth. Additionally, they found that a weak central city economy almost always leads to a weak metro economy.

The authors argue that in the current environment, successful cities have a smaller blue-collar population and a higher proportion of their residents with college degrees and creative abilities. Milwaukee must break from its [blue-collar] past and concentrate on being a city to which the creative class (scientists, engineers, software programmers, writers, architects and artists) is drawn. It must target income growth and not just job growth, a strategy that will lead to both higher incomes and likely more jobs. Economists have shown this strategy benefits all metro residents including those in the central city -- one recent study argues that each 1% in per capita incomes yields a 1% reduction in poverty. The report also finds that MPS needs improvement. Increased high school graduation rates will produce a desirable pool of workers for jobs requiring less than a college degree.