Survey: US businesses add 257,000 jobs, most in a year

WASHINGTON (AP) — US businesses stepped up hiring last month, led by solid gains in construction and retail, a private survey found.

Payroll processor ADP says that companies added 257,000 jobs last month, the most in a year. Construction companies added 24,000 jobs, while retailers and shipping firms added 38,000.

The figures indicate that employers are still hiring at a healthy pace, even as overseas economic weakness and the strong dollar have hit U.S. manufacturing.

The data comes just two days before the government issues its official jobs report for December. Economists forecast that the report will show employers added 200,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate remained 5 percent.

The ADP survey covers only private businesses and frequently diverges from the official figures.

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