US companies added 534,000 jobs in November, ADP data show

U.S. companies added workers at a healthy clip in November, suggesting employers continue to chip away at filling a near-record number of open positions.
 

Businesses’ payrolls increased by 534,000 last month after a 570,000 gain in October, according to ADP Research Institute data released Wednesday. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for a 525,000 rise.

The figures suggest steady improvement in a labor market where skills mismatches, job switching and pandemic-related factors are still making it difficult for employers to attract and retain workers. Total employment as measured by ADP remains well below its pre-pandemic level,