Survey: U.S. companies add 175,000 jobs in January

WASHINGTON — A private survey shows that businesses added jobs at a modest pace in January, a sign that hiring may have rebounded after a disappointing figure in December.

Payroll processor ADP said companies added 175,000 jobs last month. That’s down from 227,000 in December, which was revised lower. But it was much better than the government’s official figure of just 74,000 new jobs in December.

The ADP numbers cover only private businesses and often diverge from the government’s more comprehensive report. In December its figure came in much higher than the official count.

The report comes amid rising fears of a slowdown in the U.S. and global economies. Those fears have caused sharp falls in stock markets worldwide. Turmoil in developing countries and signs of slower growth in the U.S. also have raised uncertainty about the Federal Reserve’s next steps.