Private companies south of the border kicked off the new year with a hiring spree, according to the latest report from ADP and Moody's Analytics.
Amid an explosive month surrounding U.S. President Donald Trump's inauguration and the flurry of activity that followed, the report shows firms added 246,000 new workers to their payrolls, compared to expectations of 165,000 from economists and marked a substantial jump from the downwardly-revised 151,000 — initially reported as 153,000 — in December. January also turned in the best single-month performance since June.
Moreover, the hiring wasn't as dominated by services as it's been in the past.
Goods-producing companies in the U.S. hired 46,000 workers, the highest in two years. Construction jobs led the way with 25,000, while manufacturing added 15,000 and natural resources and mining contributed 6,000. During the campaign, Trump promised to bring back blue-collar jobs, particularly in mining.
