But while four out of the five industries in ADP's survey appear to be flourishing, there's one sector where employment actually dropped: manufacturing.
According to Samuel Tombs, UK analyst at Capital Economics, the PMIs for the third quarter of 2011 are consistent with a drop in manufacturing output of as much as 1%, bigger than the 0.2% drop in the second quarter.
A Federal Reserve report showed American industrial output was flat for a second consecutive month in March, held back by a 0.2 percent drop in manufacturing.
The government's industrial production report said there was a 0.4 percent drop in manufacturing output in June compared with the previous month.
The drop in manufacturing output occurred even though production at the nation's auto plants rose sharply from the previous month, when the factories were in extended shutdowns.
Analysts blamed the drop in manufacturing output on a slowdown in global growth, made worse by a higher pound that has hit exports of manufactured goods.
That coincides with a sharp drop in manufacturing employment in the most open manufacturing industries, alongside a slight rise in employment in manufacturing industries least exposed to foreign competition.
No sooner had the UK announced a 0.9% drop in manufacturing output for the last three months of 2011 than Antal's (global) survey concluded that the best hiring prospects for professionals and managers in the first quarter of 2012 will be in manufacturing.
A slowdown in the health care sector caused by labor disruptions, as well as a drop in manufacturing output and lower car sales, offset the benefits of a strong housing market and higher oil and natural gas production.
"The recent near-term indicators show little sign of improvement," he said, pointing to the loss of 600,000 jobs in January, a sharp drop in manufacturing output and a steep decline in exports.
