In March, companies in the United States added only 158,000 jobs, down from both February and January of this year, even though ADP predicted a job growth of at least 200,000, Reuters reported Wednesday.
Automatic Data Processing Inc. (ADP) had surveyed a forecast that expected a job growth of 200,000 in March, but actual numbers were much less. February's private payrolls figure was revised up to an increase of 237,000. January saw a job increase of 177,000.
Construction companies didn't add any jobs in March, after average monthly gains of 29,000 in the previous three months. The hiring surge during the previous months likely reflected a jump in rebuilding after Superstorm Sandy.
Much of the job creation came from small businesses of less than 50 employees, which added 74,000 positions, while large companies added 47,000 and medium-sized firms hired 37,000.
The ADP report is derived from actual payroll data and tracks total nonfarm private employment each month.
The report suggests that the government's March payroll figures, to be issued Friday, may come in below economists' forecast of 195,000 net jobs.
The privately produced ADP report comes each month just before the widely watched unemployment and employment data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That agency's March report is due on Friday at 8:30 a.m. ET.
However, it's believe that the national unemployment rate did not change, staying at 7.7 percent.
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