Private Sector Adds 205,000 Jobs In January: ADP

Private-sector employment gains increased in January but at a slower pace than in the prior month, according to a report released Wednesday. Employers added 205,000 jobs in January, according to Automatic Data Processing Inc. ADP tweaked December's gain to 267,000 from a prior estimate of 257,000. Economists use ADP's data to get a feeling for the Labor Department's employment report, which will be released Friday and covers government jobs in addition to the private sector. Economists polled by MarketWatch expect the government's report to show that nonfarm payroll rose by 180,000 jobs last month, down from the torrid pace of 292,000 in December.