US private jobs rise 187,000 in January: ADP

WASHINGTON: Private businesses in the United States added 187,000 jobs in January, starting the year with gains across major industries, private payrolls firm ADP said Wednesday.

The increase topped the average analyst forecast of 145,000 new private-sector jobs.

The January number marked a slowdown from December's revised 247,000, initially reported as 297,000.

The latest report "suggests solid growth of private nonfarm payroll employment heading into the New Year," ADP said in a statement.

"The recent pattern of rising employment gains since the middle of last year appears to be intact, as the average gain over December and January -- 217,000 -- is well above the average gain over the prior six months -- 52,000," it said.

Strength in job creation was seen within all major industries and across all size business tracked, the company added.

The ADP report came amid concerns that high unemployment will continue to hold back the economy's struggling recovery through the year.

Friday's government jobs data is expected to show the unemployment rate in January ticked up one-tenth point to 9.5 percent.