Private payrolls up 184,000 last month, according to ADP

(NBC, KYMA/KECY) - The U.S. economy added more jobs in March than economists expected. According to payroll processing firm Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP), private payrolls increased by 140,000 in March.

In addition to the strong employment pickup, ADP reported that wages for workers who stayed in their jobs increased 5.1% from a year ago

Job gains were fairly broad-based, led by leisure and hospitality, with 63,000 jobs.

Most of the growth came from companies that employ more than 50 workers, with small businesses adding just 16,000 to the total.