Private Sector Adds 230,000 Jobs In October: ADP

Private-sector hiring slightly picked up in October, as employers added 230,000 jobs, ADP reported Wednesday. Economists polled by Dow Jones Newswires had expected an October gain of 220,000, compared with an originally reported increase of 213,000 in September. On Wednesday ADP revised September's gain to 225,000. Economists use ADP's data to get a feeling for the U.S. 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 employment rose by 243,000 jobs last month, compared with a September gain of 248,000 jobs.