By Christopher Rugaber

U.S. companies added jobs at a modest pace last month, a private survey found, a sign that while hiring continues, it is only soaking up a relatively small proportion of the unemployed.

Payroll processor ADP said Wednesday that businesses added 428,000 jobs in August, a figure that before the pandemic would have represented a healthy gain. But the increase represents a small slice of the 12 million jobs that have been lost to the spread of the coronavirus.

ADP said the bulk of the gains were at large companies, which added 298,000 jobs. Small businesses with less than 50 employees gained just 52,000 positions, while medium-sized firms — with between 50 and 499 employees — added 79,000 jobs.

"Given the enormous job losses during the Viral Recession, job growth of around 400,000 per month means that it would take years for the labor market to recover from the coronavirus pandemic," Gus Faucher, an economist at PNC, said.

ADP's figures do not include government workers and frequently diverge from the Labor Department's official jobs report. The August jobs report from the government will be released Friday. ADP revised up its July job gain to 212,000, but that is still far below the 1.8 million additional jobs that month reported by the federal government.

Economists forecast that the Labor Department on Friday will report that 1.4 million jobs were added in August, while the unemployment rate is expected to have fallen to 9.8 percent from 10.2 percent, according to data provider FactSet.

Share:
More In Business
Nasdaq, S&P 500 Close Lower on Fed Rate-Hike Concerns
U.S. markets ended mostly lower on the first day of March, on data indicating inflation is likely to stay high and Federal Reserve policymakers hinted support for more aggressive rate hikes. Cheddar News speaks with Sam Stovall, Chief Investment Strategist at CFRA who breaks down the market's action.
How to Vet Money Tips on Social Media
A report shows that a majority of young adults get their money advice on social media. Kendall Meade, financial planner at SoFi, joined Cheddar News to explain how to vet economic tips on social media.
A Look Behind the Current Wedding Boom
There were a record 2.6 million weddings in 2022, which is up from 1.9 million in 2021 and 1.3 million in 2020, according to a report from The Knot, a wedding planning agency.
Load More