The U.S. private sector added jobs at the slowest pace in three years in April dampening optimism over the health of the labor market.
Payrolls processor ADP said nonfarm payrolls rose by 156,000 last month, the smallest increase since April 2013.
Economists' had forecast an increase of 196,000.
Private payroll gains in the month earlier were revised down to 194,000 from an originally reported 200,000 increase.
The ADP figures come ahead of the U.S. government's jobs report on Friday, which is expected to show jobs growth of 202,000.