Forecast: As the expansion goes forward, the job market will gradually tighten up.

Forecast: As the expansion goes forward, the job market will gradually tighten up. Jobs is a "lagging indicator". It follows the "leading indicators" into a recovery, just as it did when the economy turned down. Jobs were slower to contract than other areas of the economy.

Actual: By Jonathan Spicer Jonathan Spicer – Wed Jan 5, 7:32 pm ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The number of U.S. private-sector jobs surged in December at a rate three times stronger than forecast, the most bullish signal in months that a recovery in the world's biggest economy is shifting up a gear.

Private employers added 297,000 jobs last month, payrolls processing company ADP Employer Services said on Wednesday. It was the largest gain on ADP records dating to 2000.