Evan Lucas, market strategist with IG in Melbourne, Australia, said new home sales were also very strong, up 25 per cent in October and the highest monthly percentage gain since 1980.
"This ADP print certainly raises upside risk to Friday's November payrolls which are expected to come in at 184,000. A non-farm payrolls print around 200,000 is what many analysts feel is needed to reinforce the December taper argument," he said.
Since the stimulus has helped shore up stock markets for several years, its potential withdrawal has raised roiled investors, even if it is predicated on an improving economic outlook.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average fell 0.2 per cent to 15,889.77 and the S&P 500 eased 0.1 per cent to 1.792.81.
Benchmark crude for January delivery was up 18 cents at $97.38 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract Wednesday rose $1.16 to $97.20.