ADP survey: Companies add 191K jobs in March

WASHINGTON - A private survey shows that U.S. companies increased hiring at a rapid pace last month, suggesting that the jobs market is recovering from a brutal winter.

Payroll processer ADP says private employers added 191,000 jobs in March. ADP also revised February's job creation up to 153,000 from an originally reported 139,000.

The construction industry added 20,000 jobs in March, up from an average 16,000 the previous three months.

The numbers suggest that the government's jobs report for March, to be released Friday, will be healthy. Economists forecast the government numbers will show that employers added 195,000 jobs last month. That would be best one-month gain since November.

The ADP numbers cover only private businesses and often diverge from the government's more comprehensive report.