ST. PAUL  (AP) -- A new report says Minnesota is lagging behind other states on creating high-technology jobs.

The Science and Technology Authority was created by the Legislature last year to determine whether a jobs gap exists and what to do about it. The authority's report says Minnesota actually lost high-tech jobs in 2009.

The group is asking for $20 million in the next two years to develop its plan for creating high-tech jobs. Among other things, the report calls for new links between the state's colleges and private businesses to develop ideas and take them to the marketplace.

The authority says the financial investment will be paid off in future years with tens of thousands of new high-tech jobs.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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