Minnesota sees two indicators of improving economy

Minnesota's economy saw a spike in demand for workers last month. The number of online job ads in Minnesota jumped by 8,900 between December and January, the largest increase since April 2006.

The total number of advertised vacancies reached 75,500 in January, according to the Conference Board, a New York-based research firm. The Conference Board says demand for workers nationally has risen sharply in the past three months, consistent with GDP growth in the fourth quarter.

The Conference Board notes the recent increases in online job postings are significant, because they come at a time when employers normally cut back on advertising for workers.

Also, for the first time since 2006, the number of residential building permits for the month of January grew from the same month the year before.

Builders pulled 189 permits last month, up nearly 49 percent compared to last year. However, January permit levels were still nearly 70 percent lower than January 2006 levels.