Survey: U.S. companies added 281,000 jobs i..

Employment • ADP's numbers suggest Thursday's government report could be up.

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Washington • A private survey shows U.S. business hiring surged in June, a sign of stronger economic growth.

Payroll processer ADP says private employers added 281,000 jobs last month, up from 179,000 in the previous month.

The figure suggests the government's jobs report, to be released Thursday, could also show a significant gain from May's tally of 217,000 jobs. But the ADP numbers cover only private businesses and often diverge from the government's more comprehensive report.

The improvement in the ADP figures occurred mostly in professional and business services, a category that includes many higher-paying jobs such as accountants and engineers, but also lower-paid temporary workers. That category gained 77,000 jobs.

Goods producers hired 51,000 workers in May, up from 31,000 the previous month.

Survey: U.S. companies added 281,000 jobs in June