Washington, Ramadan 14, 1436, Jul 1, 2015, SPA -- U.S. businesses added jobs at a strong pace in June, payroll-processing firm ADP reported Wednesday, providing evidence that rising consumer spending and a healthy housing market are supporting more hiring. The private sector added 237,000 jobs last month, up from 203,000 in May and the most since December. Small companies with fewer than 50 employees accounted for half the total job gains, adding 120,000 positions. Medium-sized businesses with 50 to 499 workers gained 86,000, and large firms hired only 32,000 people. Retail, shipping, and utility companies added 50,000 jobs in June, while construction firms added 19,000. Manufacturers added 7,000 jobs, the first increase since February, suggesting factories are recovering from difficulties including the strong U.S. dollar, whose 15 percent increase in the past year makes U.S. goods more expensive overseas. On Thursday, the government will issue its more comprehensive job-creation report for June. Economists forecast it will show that employers added 233,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate fell to 5.4 percent from 5.5 percent. --SPA 21:02 LOCAL TIME 18:02 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w