US business added just 119,000 jobs in April, payrolls firm ADP said today, lending credence to fears that the labour market has hit a soft patch.
Expectations had been for a rise of around 170,000.
The figures are seen as an indication of official unemployment statistics, which will be released on Friday. Both figures are eagerly awaited.
Investors, policymakers and ordinary Americans have been confounded by a string of uneven data, and are looking for some definitive sign about the direction of the recovery.
This is likely to be seen as a confirmation of things heading in the wrong direction.
March's disappointing ADP report, showing 209,000 jobs were created, was revised down to 201,000.
