ADP says companies in US added 205,000 workers in January

[WASHINGTON] Companies in the US added 205,000 workers to payrolls in January after a 267,000 increase a month earlier, figures from the ADP Research Institute showed on Wednesday.

The median forecast of 45 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for a 195,000 advance, with estimates ranging from gains of 160,000 to 295,000 after a previously reported 257,000 increase in December.

A Labor Department report on Friday is projected to show employers, including government agencies, took on 190,000 workers last month, while the jobless rate held at 5 per cent.

BLOOMBERG