US private employers added the smallest number of workers in more than a year in March and factory activity hit a near two-year low, fresh signs that economic growth slowed significantly in the first quarter.
The ADP National Employment Report on Wednesday showed that private payrolls increased by 189,000 jobs last month, the smallest gain since January 2014.
That was well below economists' expectations for an increase of 225,000. In a separate report, the Institute for Supply Management said its national factory activity index fell to 51.5 last month, the lowest reading since May 2013, from 52.9 in February.
