U.S. private sector adds 150,000 jobs in June amid cooling labor market

Year-over-year pay gains for job-stayers were 4.9 percent in June, the slowest pace of growth in nearly three years, the ADP report showed.

WASHINGTON, July 3 (Xinhua) — The U.S. private sector added 150,000 jobs in June, in the latest sign that the labor market is starting to slow down, according to a report released Wednesday.

The latest data was announced by Automatic Data Processing (ADP) and Moody’s Analytics in a National Employment Report based on a monthly survey.

“Job growth has been solid, but not broad-based,” said Nela Richardson, chief economist at ADP. “Had it not been for a rebound in hiring in leisure and hospitality, June would have been a downbeat month.”

The May total of jobs added was revised up from 152,000 to 157,000. The June data marks the smallest increase in five months, according to MarketWatch.

Year-over-year pay gains for job-stayers were 4.9 percent in June, the slowest pace of growth in nearly three years, the ADP report showed.

The ADP report came two days before the crucial monthly employment report released by the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, which will include employment data from both the private sector and the government. ■