Economy, Private Sector | featured news

Private employers added 158,000 jobs in March, the smallest gain in five months and falling short of economists' expectations, a report by a payrolls processor showed on Wednesday. Economists surveyed by Reuters had forecast the ADP National Employment Report would show a gain of 200,000 jobs.

Private-sector employers added 192,000 jobs in January, more than economists were expecting, in a sign of growth in the labor market, a report by a payrolls processor showed on Wednesday.

Private-sector employers shrugged off a looming budget crisis and stepped up hiring in December, offering further evidence of underlying strength in the economy as 2012 ended.

U.S. companies added 158,000 jobs in October, data from a payrolls processor showed on Thursday in a revamped report on the private sector labor market. The historical data for the ADP National Employment Report was revised as part of the new methodology, which was used for the first time in the October report. September's increase has halved to 88,200 new jobs from an initially reported 162,000.

Jack Welch and his merry band of job truthers must be tearing out what little hair they collectively can find a top their heads. A cascade of economic data out today—all from the private sector—is making it more than clear that not only is the economy performing far better than people seem to think, but that last week’s BLS job numbers turn out to make more than perfect sense.

Consumer confidence unexpectedly rose in July as Americans were more optimistic about the short-term outlook than they were about their current conditions, according to a private sector report released on Tuesday.

President Barack Obama, seeking to clarify comments about the strength of the U.S. economy, said later Friday it is "absolutely clear" that the U.S. economy is "not doing fine." Obama spoke hours after saying in a White House news conference that "the private sector is doing fine." Republicans pounced on those comments, saying they showed Obama had a lack of understanding about the nation's economic woes.

U.S. companies hired the fewest people in seven months in April, a worrisome sign for a labor market that has struggled to gain traction and adding to concerns that the economy has lost some momentum.

Less of the labor force is working in small businesses than in the early 1990s. After a brief resurgence from 2001 to 2004, the share of private sector employment in companies with between 1 and 249 employees has fallen.

The pace of job creation by private employers accelerated more than expected in February, a report by a payrolls processor showed on Wednesday.