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ADP: US companies add just 130K jobs in October

WASHINGTON — A private survey shows US businesses added just 130,000 jobs in October, as the 16-day partial government shutdown slowed an already-weak job market.

Payroll processor ADP also said Wednesday that companies created just 145,000 jobs in September, far below the 166,000 it had reported earlier this month.

The job market had been weakening even before the shutdown started Oct. 1. Employers were also worried about a standoff over raising the federal borrowing limit.

The September job figures were the fewest for the ADP survey since April. Hiring was especially sluggish among companies with fewer than 500 employees. Job creation at services companies fell to 107,000 in October from 130,000 last month.

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‘‘The ADP data are pointing to some negative effects from the turmoil in Washington,’’ said Jim O’Sullivan, chief US economist at High Frequency Economics.

The shutdown, which began on Oct. 1, led some private contractors that do business with the government to temporarily lay off workers. It also may have prompted some companies to hold off on adding new workers.

The ADP survey covers only private businesses and did not reflect government furloughs caused by the shutdown.