US companies added 230,000 jobs in September: survey

WASHINGTON — U.S. businesses added a robust 230,000 jobs in September, a private survey found, a sign that strong economic growth is spurring companies to add more workers.

Payroll processor ADP says that September’s job gain was the most in seven months. It followed 168,000 new jobs in August, a figure that was revised slightly higher.

Construction firms added 34,000 jobs, while professional and business services, which includes higher-paying jobs such as engineering and accounting as well as temp workers, added a strong 70,000. Education and health services added 44,000 jobs.

ADP’s report comes a day before the government is scheduled to release jobs data for September. Economists have forecast that Friday’s report will show that employers added 183,000 jobs, according to data provider FactSet.