(MENAFN- AFP) US companies revved up hiring in November to the strongest pace since June, with the massive service sector leading the way, payrolls firm ADP reported Wednesday.
The ADP national employment report said the private sector added 217,000 jobs in November, a solid increase from the revised 196,000 reading in October, previously estimated at 182,000.
The report indicated solid strength in the jobs market ahead of the Labor Department's official employment data for November to be released on Friday.
That will be the last monthly jobs report before Federal Reserve policymakers meet December 15-16 to decide whether the economy can weather the first rate hike in more than nine years.
Analysts had anticipated a smaller gain of 185,000 jobs. The November rise was the highest since June, when companies added 231,000 payrolls.
The surge was driven by a jump of 204,000 positions in the service sector. A large factor was a rebound in professional and business service jobs, ADP said.
"Job growth remains strong and steady. The current pace of job creation is twice that needed to absorb growth in the working age population," said Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics which helps compile the ADP data.
"The economy is fast approaching full employment and will be there no later than next summer," he said.
Barclays Research analyst Jesse Hurwitz said the ADP employment report is given limited weight due to its history of revisions and frequent divergence with Labor Department numbers.
"That said, this morning's print is consistent with our outlook for nonfarm payroll growth of 200,000" in the official data Friday, he said.
On average, analysts project the economy added 196,000 jobs in November, down from 271,000 in October, and the unemployment rate rose a tenth point, to 5.1 percent.
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