US private hiring falls by 27,000 in March

WASHINGTON: US private hiring fell in March amid the coronavirus pandemic, with small businesses suffering the biggest losses, however the report almost certainly underestimated the damage, according to data Wednesday from payrolls firm ADP.

Total employment fell by 27,000 in the month, the biggest -- and only -- drop since September 2017, according to ADP´s monthly report. Small business jobs suffered their largest setback since the worst of the financial crisis in early 2009, plunging by 90,000, with the smallest firms employing less than 20 employees taking the biggest hit, the report said.