Private payrolls fell by 23,000 in March, according to ADP. The survey tallies only private-sector jobs, while government data to be released Friday include government workers and is expected to show gains.

Job losses accelerated last month and the unemployment rate rose to 9.5%, casting doubt on the U.S. economy's ability to rebound soon.

As layoffs mount, many of the same employers, such as Boeing, IBM and Yahoo also are hiring -- in other business units, in other places, or for other skills.

The number of brokers leaving Wall Street is rising as a result of slumping markets, widespread job cuts and shrinking paychecks.