Companies Add Fewer Workers Than Forecast, ADP Data Show

Companies in the U.S. added fewer jobs than forecast in May, a sign of uneven progress in the labor market, a private report based on payrolls showed.

The 179,000 increase in employment was the smallest in four months and followed a 215,000 gain the prior month that was less than initially estimated, according to figures today from the Roseland, New Jersey-based ADP Research Institute. The median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for May advance of 210,000.