Spring ahead: US adds most jobs in six months as COVID curbs ease

Private company payrolls increased by 517,000 in March, according to ADP Research Institute data released Wednesday.

U.S. private employers in March added the most jobs in six months, signaling that a pickup in Covid-19 vaccinations and business reopenings are encouraging hiring. Company payrolls increased by 517,000 during the month and February was revised up to a 176,000 gain, according to ADP Research Institute data released Wednesday. The median projection in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for an increase of 550,000.