By Ovunc Kutlu
ISTANBUL (AA) - US private payrolls rose by 145,000 in March, lower than estimates, the ADP Research Institute said Wednesday in a report prepared with Stanford Digital Economy Lab.
The expectation was to show an increase of 200,000.
The February figure was revised up from a gain of 242,000 to 261,000.
ADP chief economist Nela Richardson said the data signals that the American economy is slowing.
"Employers are pulling back from a year of strong hiring and pay growth, after a three-month plateau, is inching down," she said.
Mid- and large-sized businesses gained 33,000 and 10,000 jobs, respectively, while small businesses saw an increase of approximately 101,000.
The leisure and hospitality sector posted the highest gain with 98,000 jobs added, while financial activities saw the largest decline with 51,000 lost jobs.