Wisconsin private-sector jobs reported up, but by how much?

MADISON (AP) — Private-sector jobs grew just 1.3 percent in Wisconsin during the 12-month period ending in March.

Gov. Scott Walker's administration released the preliminary figures late Thursday. They will be officially released on Sept. 18 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, along with figures from other states showing how well Wisconsin compares to its neighbors.

The numbers from the state Department of Workforce Development show Wisconsin added 28,653 jobs from March 2013 to March 2014.

In the last comparative report covering the 2013 calendar year from BLS, Wisconsin's job growth was 1.2 percent ranking it 37th nationwide. That ranking is unlikely to improve based on the latest figures.

The national job growth rate in 2013 was 2.1 percent.