US private sector adds 41,000 jobs in December, fewer than expected

Analysts had expected an increase of 50,000 jobs in December, according to a Bloomberg compilation.

It was mainly small- to medium-sized companies that saw a sharp increase in jobs in December.

“Small businesses rebounded from the job losses in November with more new hires at the end of the year, even as larger employers took a step back,” said ADP Chief Economist Nela Richardson in a press release.