Demand for workers picks up in Minn.

Demand for workers picked up in Minnesota and nationally last month as online job listings spiked.

Employers in Minnesota listed about 6,100 more job openings online in December compared to November, the Conference Board research group reported on Wednesday.

That bump is a good sign and bodes well for 2014, said Steve Hine, the state's chief labor market analyst.

"The 6,100 during the month was only matched by a handful of states, all of which were quite a bit larger than Minnesota," Hine said. "Relatively speaking we were one of the strongest states."

There were 11 unemployed people for every 10 positions posted online last month in Minnesota, the Conference Board calculated. Nationally, it was about 21 unemployed people for every 10 online job ads.

The signs of rising demand for labor coincide with a report from payroll processor ADP. It indicates private sector employers added 238,000 jobs last month, more than analysts expected.