Companies south of the border went on something of a hiring spree last month.
Figures released Wednesday by payroll processing firm ADP showed firms hired at the fastest pace in seven months in December ahead of escalating concerns over surging COVID cases.
Private job growth totaled 807,000 for the month, well ahead of the Dow Jones estimate for 375,000 and the November gain of 505,000. The November total was revised lower from the initially reported 534,000.
The total was the best for the job market since the 882,000 figure unleashed last May.
ADP says hiring was broad-based, though leisure and hospitality led with 246,000 new positions. Trade, transportation and utilities contributed 138,000, professional and business services increased by 130,000 and education and health services added 85,000.
While service-related professions led with 669,000 new hires, the goods-producing side also showed strong gains. Manufacturing rose 74,000 and construction contributed 62,000 to the total.
The job gains came the same month that soaring COVID cases sparked renewed fears of an economic slowdown. The U.S. has passed one million new positive cases a day as the omicron variant has run rampant through the population.
However, the ADP report, compiled with Moody’s Analytics, covers through the middle of December, before the worst of the escalation.
Non-farm payrolls for December for the U.S. are set for release on Friday.
