Companies hired 213,000 workers in September as the labor market continued to strengthen, a private report based on payrolls showed. The gains in employment last month followed a revised 202,000 increase in August, according to the ADP Research Institute in Roseland, New Jersey. The median forecast of 41 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for a September advance of 205,000. Stronger demand for goods and services is prompting companies to hold the line on firings and expand headcount. Continued progress in the labor market will be needed to boost aggregate income and drive consumer spending, which accounts for ... (full story)