Policy

US Business Adds More Jobs Than Anticipated

Payroll increase of 238,000 in December

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U.S. businesses added jobs at a quick pace last month, notably in construction, according to a tally of hiring released Wednesday.

Private-sector payrolls increased by 238,000 positions in December, according to the national employment report compiled by payroll processor Automatic Data Processing Inc. and forecasting firm Moody's Analytics.

The gain is the highest ADP estimate since November 2012.