WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Private-sector employment picked up in December, as employers added 238,000 jobs, the most since November 2012, Automatic Data Processing Inc. reported Wednesday. Economists had forecast that private-sector employers added 215,000 jobs, matching a prior estimate for November, according to a MarketWatch survey. On Wednesday ADP revised November's gain to 229,000. Economists use ADP's data to get a feeling for the U.S. Labor Department's employment report, which will be released Friday and covers government jobs in addition to the private sector. Economists expect the government's report to reflect that unusually bad weather conditions held back hiring last month, with nonfarm employment rising by 190,000 jobs, compared with an increase of 203,000 in November.