The private sector in the U.S. added 209,000 jobs in March, making it the second report in a row with increases above the 200,000 mark, according to the ADP National Employment Report.
The report, for the most part, is close to what analysts projected for the period.
Research firm Econoday expected 208,000 new jobs in March, while Dow Jones Newswires released an estimate of 200,000.
The report, which is produced by Automatic Data Processing Inc. and Macroeconomic Advisers, noted job gains for the months of January and February were revised upward, with January’s job gains growing another 9,000 to 182,000 positions and February’s revised figure increasing by 14,000 to 230,000 new jobs.
During the period, small businesses fueled most of the hiring, adding 100,000 employees to their payrolls. Medium-sized businesses pulled in another 87,000 employees, while large businesses added 22,000 staff members.
The goods-producing sector reported 45,000 new jobs, while the service industry dominated with 164,000 new positions. Manufacturing, alone, added 23,000 jobs.
