Bob Pope began his career as a Research Analyst at the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) within the Office of Economic Advisors in August 2010. During this period, he collaborated with independent reports from other states to develop a methodology for quantifying ‘green jobs’ in Wisconsin, using the BLS Green Goods and Services Program. Bob also leveraged IPUMS data to analyze wage ranges across different racial and ethnic groups.

In January 2012, he transitioned to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), where he continued as a Research Analyst for ten years. Bob’s role on the Business Industry Development team involved using data from the Census, BEA, BLS, EMSI, IPEDS, and DataAxle to highlight Wisconsin’s uniqueness compared to neighboring Midwestern states and the nation. He prioritized selecting the appropriate data sources for each project and meticulously documented his reasons for their selection. His analytical approach contributed significantly to the Industry Profiles used by external partners both within and outside Wisconsin.

Bob presented frequently at the Governor’s Conference on Minority Business Development, using Census data. He also coordinated the Economic Advisors Roundtable, engaging economists, business consortium leaders, and academic figures throughout Wisconsin to utilize labor market information in addressing state-wide challenges. Furthermore, he collaborated with BioForward to develop a supply chain analysis linking the University of Wisconsin with a partner to produce a substantial supply of PPE during the Coronavirus Pandemic.

In January 2022, Bob rejoined DWD as the Chief of the Labor Market Information Section. In this role, he manages the team responsible for the labor market data he relied on throughout his previous roles. He has emphasized the importance of data provision back to DWD, a significant issue following the pandemic, especially in non-mandatory states. Bob has presented at the Toward One Wisconsin conference on demographic comparisons between Wisconsin and the national landscape and has given multiple talks on the reliability of Labor Market Information. He actively works with Wisconsin’s LMI team to maximize and highlight the impact of their efforts to the state’s partners.