Companies in the United States continued to add a solid number of jobs in March, increasing payrolls by 200,000 as the labour market improves, payroll firm ADP reported Wednesday.
ADP revised downward the February payrolls number to 205,000 from 214,000, but overall private sector job growth has held above 190,000 for five months.
"The job market continues on its amazing streak," said Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics, which helps to compile ADP data.
Zandi pointed out that the March job gain is consistent with the average monthly job growth of the past four years, with only the energy industry, hit by falling oil and natural gas prices, trimming payrolls for more than a year.
"All indications are that the job machine will remain in high gear," Zandi said in a statement.
Companies with at least 500 employees slowed hiring, adding 39,000 jobs in March, about half the increase in February. Small businesses employing under 50 people boosted job gains to 86,000, up from 68,000 last month.
The data came ahead of Friday's official March jobs data. The Labour Department is expected to report the economy added 200,000 jobs and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.9 percent, an eight-year low.