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US adds 238,000 jobs in December, strongest growth for 2013

January 08, 2014

Private-sector employment in the U.S. rose by 238,000 jobs in December, surpassing November as the strongest month for job growth in 2013, according to the national employment report released today by Automatic Data Processing Inc. (NASD: ADP).

“The job market ended 2013 on a high note,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, which produces the report with ADP. “Job growth meaningfully accelerated and is now over 200,000 per month. Job gains are broad-based across industries, most notably in construction and manufacturing. It appears that businesses are growing more confident and increasing their hiring.”

According to ADP's report, the service-providing sector added 170,000 jobs in December, down slightly from an upwardly revised November figure of 182,000. The goods-producing sector added 69,000 jobs in December, up from an upwardly revised figure of 46,000 in November.

 Small firms added the most jobs in the month with 108,000, the fastest that small businesses have grown since the beginning of 2012. Large businesses followed with 71,000 jobs, while medium-sized companies added 59,000 jobs.

The report is derived from a sample of ADP data from approximately 400,000 U.S. business clients representing nearly 24 million U.S. employees. The report’s methodology utilizes ADP payroll data, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data, and the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank’s Aruoba-Diebold-Scotti Business Conditions Index.