US private sector adds more jobsthan expected in March: ADP

The ADP report is also monitored as a signal for how the broader market is doing ahead of official employment figures.

US private sector employment growth beat expectations in March, data from payroll firm ADP showed Wednesday, but hiring remained concentrated in certain industries like health care as concerns over the jobs market linger.

The sector added 62,000 jobs last month, ADP said, marking a slight slowdown from February.

But this was still significantly higher than the 39,000 in hiring that economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal expected.

“Overall hiring is steady, but job growth continues to favor certain industries, including health care,” said ADP chief economist Nela Richardson in a statement.

While unemployment remains relatively low in the United States, policymakers are monitoring for any rapid weakening in the labor market as it cools.

The ADP report is also monitored as a signal for how the broader market is doing ahead of official employment figures.

Among industries, trade, transportation and utilities lost 58,000 jobs in March.

But education and health services added 58,000 jobs.

Manufacturing employment was down by 11,000.

For private sector workers who did not change employers, wage growth was 4.5 percent.

For those who changed jobs, their salary gains accelerated to 6.6 percent, ADP said.