US adds 212,200 jobs last month as firms report positive growth
THE US private sector added 212,000 jobs in February, according to data released by ADP yesterday.
The amount of jobs added in January was revised up from the earlier 213,000 figure to 250,000.
“Job growth is strong, but slowing from the torrid pace of recent months,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics. “Job gains remain broad-based, although the collapse in oil prices has begun to weigh on energy-related employment.”
Meanwhile, figures released yesterday also revealed the expansion in the non-manufacturing sector continued strongly.
The purchasing managers’ index released by the Institute for Supply Management rose to a score of 56.9 for February, up from January’s 56.7. A score above 50 indicates growth.
“The bottom line is that the US economy remains in good health,” said economist Paul Ashworth from Capital Economics.