U.S. small businesses increased hiring in June for the ninth consecutive month, adding to signs the labor market is strengthening.
The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), which reported the figures on Wednesday, said that was longest stretch of increases since 2006.
"The rather substantial dent in first quarter growth did not have much of an impact on Main Street," the NFIB said in a statement.
The economy contracted at a 2.9 percent annual pace in the first three months of the year.
Earlier on Wednesday, payrolls processor ADP said private employers added 281,000 workers to their payrolls last month, up from 179,000 in May and the largest gain since November 2012.