Prior to the release of the ADP National Employment Report for November, economists polled by Reuters were predicting the addition of 190,000 jobs to private payrolls. This morning’s report beat expectations and offered some more good news as well: last month’s report, which previously reflected the addition of 182,000 jobs, was revised upward to show 196,000 jobs added.
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“Job growth remains strong and steady,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Analytics, which produces the report with ADP. “The current pace of job creation is twice that needed to absorb growth in the working age population. The economy is fast approaching full employment and will be there no later than next summer.”
Small businesses with fewer than 50 employees added 81,000 jobs last month, down from 91,000 in October. Medium-sized companies with between 50 and 499 employees added 62,000 jobs, down from 67,000 jobs the previous month. Large businesses with 500 or more employees added 74,000 jobs, double October’s revised count of 37,000 jobs. Businesses with between 500 and 999 workers added 57,000 jobs – the largest for that segment in the history of the report.
The goods-producing sector added 13,000 jobs last month, less than 22,000 jobs in October. Manufacturing rebounded, adding 6,000 jobs after losing jobs for the previous two months. Construction added 16,000 jobs.
As a whole, the service-producing sector added 204,000 in November, up from 174,000 the previous month.
“The strongest gains in the service sector since June led to greater employment growth in November,” said Ahu Yildirmaz, VP and head of the ADP Research Institute. “The increase was driven in large part by a rebound in professional/business service jobs.”
Business and professional services added 59,000 jobs, the largest bump since June, while trade, transportation, and utilities grew by 30,000 jobs, down from last month’s count of 36,000 jobs. Financial activities added 9,000 jobs, fewer than the average for the previous four months.
Reuters is predicting that Friday’s report from the Labor Department will show the addition of 200,000 jobs to public and private, non-farm payrolls. Unemployment is expected to remain flat at 5 percent. The PayScale Index, which measures the change in wages for employed U.S. workers, forecasts a 0.6 percent year-over-year increase in pay for the fourth quarter.
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