by Calculated Risk on 2/02/2011 08:15:00 AM

ADP reports:

Private-sector employment increased by 187,000 from December to January on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to the latest ADP National Employment Report® released today. The estimated change of employment from November to December was revised down by 50,000 to 247,000 from the previously reported increase of 297,000.

This month’s ADP National Employment Report suggests solid growth of private nonfarm payroll employment heading into the New Year. The recent pattern of rising employment gains since the middle of last year appears to be intact, as the average gain over December and January (217,000) is well above the average gain over the prior six months (52,000). Strength was evident within all major industries and across all size business tracked in the ADP Report.
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In January, construction employment dropped 1,000. The total decline in construction employment since its peak in January 2007 is 2,311,000.

Note: ADP is private nonfarm employment only (no government jobs).

This was slightly above the consensus forecast of an increase of about 150,000 private sector jobs in January.

The BLS reports on Friday, and the consensus is for an increase of 150,000 payroll jobs in January, on a seasonally adjusted (SA) basis, and for the unemployment rate to increase slightly to 9.5%.