•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Employment in the U.S. private sector held steady in March and added more jobs than expected, according to a report from payroll processing firm ADP. Job growth was supported by gains in health care, even as hiring trends continued to favor specific industries.
ADP said private-sector payrolls increased by 62,000 in March, exceeding consensus economist estimates of 38,500, according to FactSet.
ADP reported that education and health services accounted for most of March’s job growth, adding 58,000 roles and matching February’s total. Other areas contributed smaller gains, including:
In contrast, trade, transportation and utilities shed 58,000 jobs.
Smaller businesses—companies hiring fewer than 50 people—drove the largest increase in hiring, adding 85,000 roles.
Nela Richardson, ADP’s chief economist, said overall hiring was “steady,” adding that March’s job growth favored industries such as health care.
Attention is now on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ nonfarm jobs report scheduled for Friday. It is projected to show a recovery in added jobs, with a gain of 60,000 after a loss of 92,000, and for the unemployment rate to remain at 4.4%.
Premium gym chains are entering a “golden era” that is ending or already in decline, as rising operating costs collide with shifting consumer preferences toward more flexible, community-based ways to exercise. Long-term memberships are shrinking, margins are pressured by higher rents and facility expenses, and competition from smaller, more personalized…
