January 7, 2011 - The private sector added a surprising number of new jobs in December, which might mean many more Americans will be renting moving trucks in the near future.

The latest national employment report from ADP Employment Services showed that private employers added a seasonally adjusted 297,000 jobs in December, a rate of growth that well exceeded figures from just a month earlier, when that sector added 92,000 jobs. The growth has implications on the housing market, as many have had to postpone their moving plans amid a tough job climate. Experts said they were caught off guard and were a bit skeptical that the report reflected seasonal factors, though some acknowledged that it was possible previous growth had been underestimated.

"We would not be surprised to see a portion of the unexpected weakness in BLS employment in November reversed and manifested as outsized strength in December," analysts with Macroeconomic Advisors wrote on their blog.

The service-producing sector led the growth in December, adding 270,000 jobs - the highest monthly total in history, said ADP. That sector has also added jobs for 11 consecutive months now.

Experts have long tied the fate of the housing market to job growth, saying more consumers won't pack their storage boxes and get moving until they land a steady job. In a report last year from Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies, executive director Eric Belsky said employment was the most important factor surrounding the housing market.

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