Private sector employers added more workers in February than forecast, after a revised 189,000 gain in January, the ADP National Employment Report showed on Wednesday. Employment increased by 217,000 last month, compared to expectations for a rise of 175,000, indicating the labor market may be strengthening.
According to ADP, this month’s report “suggests continued solid growth of nonfarm private employment early in 2011. The recent pattern of rising employment gains since the middle of last year was reinforced by today’s report, as the average gain from December through February (217,000) is well above the average gain over the prior six months (63,000).”
ADP is private nonfarm employment only (no government jobs).
