Payroll giant Automated Data Processing (ADP) has released its monthly National Employment Report that foreshadows the Bureau of Labor Statistics monthly Employment Situation Summary. The report brings good news for the Obama administration, weary over the erratic performance of the economy over the last year.

According to the ADP Report, private-sector employment increased by 217,000 in February, with an average gain from December to last month by the same figure. Employment in the service sector increased by 202,000 in February and there was a gain of 15,000 jobs in the goods-producing sector. The manufacturing sector showed its fifth consecutive monthly gain.

The largest gains were reported among medium-sized businesses, those with between 50 and 499 workers. The ADP Report indicates these businesses added 104,000 workers last month while employment among small-size businesses of fewer than 50 workers increased 100,000. Large businesses of greater than 500 workers showed the smallest gain, increasing employment by just 13,000.

The ADP National Employment Report precedes the official government employment summary that is released on the first Friday of every month. ADP samples its roughly half a million business clients in the U.S. and 21 million employees in all of the industrial sectors.