NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. private employers added 158,000 jobs in June, below economists' expectations, a report by a payrolls processor showed on Thursday.
Economists surveyed by Reuters had forecast the ADP National Employment Report would show a gain of 185,000 jobs, with estimates ranging from 140,000 to 233,000.
Private payroll gains in the month earlier were revised down to 230,000 from an originally reported 253,000 increase.
The U.S. private sector added 62,000 workers in October 2016.
The report is jointly developed with Moody's Analytics.
The ADP figures come ahead of the U.S. Labor Department's more comprehensive non-farm payrolls report on Friday, which includes both public and private-sector employment.
Economists polled by Reuters are looking for U.S. private payroll employment to have grown by 172,000 jobs in June, up from 147,000 the month before. Total non-farm employment is expected to have increased by 179,000.
The unemployment rate is forecast to stay steady at the 4.3 percent recorded a month earlier.