WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd March, 2021) US private sector jobs grew by 117,000 in February, private payrolls surveyor ADP said on Wednesday ahead of the government's payroll report due later in the week that would indicate how well the labor market was recovering from the year-long coronavirus pandemic.
"Private sector employment increased by 117,000 jobs from January to February according to the February ADP National Employment Report," a statement from the private payrolls surveyor said.
Economists polled by US media had expected the ADP to report a growth of 200,000 private sector jobs for February.
The data preceded Friday's non-farm payrolls report due from the government that would show employment in both the private and public sectors. Economists polled by media are expecting the government to report a total jobs growth of 180,000 last month, versus 49,000 in January.
The US labor market has struggled to keep jobs recovery on an even keel after a December spike in COVID-19 infections reintroduced stiff restrictions on society and businesses.
ADP acknowledged the constraints imposed by the virus on the jobs sector, saying large companies were increasingly feeling the effects of pandemic, which had also paused job growth in the goods producing sector.
"The labor market continues to post a sluggish recovery across the board," ADP Chief Economist Nela Richardson, said in the statement issued by the private payrolls tracker. "With the pandemic still in the driver's seat, the service sector remains well below its pre-pandemic levels; however, this sector is one that will likely benefit the most over time with reopenings and increased consumer confidence."
The United States lost more than 21 million jobs between March and April, at the height of business lockdowns forced by the coronavirus. At least 10 million of those jobs have not returned, data shows.
The US economy itself shrank 3.5 percent in 2020, after a 2.2 percent growth in 2019.
