MADISON, WI (AP)-- Wisconsin is ranked 35th in private-sector job growth for the latest reporting period, an improvement from 37th over the previous update three months ago.
The figures released Wednesday are a key benchmark, picked by Governor Scott Walker, to measure how well he is meeting his 2010 campaign promise to add 250,000 private sector jobs by the end of next year.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that for the 12-month period between September 2012 and September 2013, Wisconsin added just over 28,300 private sector jobs. The percentage increase of 1.2 percent puts Wisconsin 35th compared with all 50 states.
Walker's performance creating jobs and dealing with the state's economy is one of the key themes of his re-election campaign against Democrat Mary Burke.