Along with the steep October total, Automatic Data Processing Inc. revised last month's estimate of job losses from 8,000 to 26,000 Wednesday.

The October decline was pushed by a loss of 126,000 jobs lost in the goods-producing sector, ADP said.

In manufacturing, 85,000 jobs were lost in the sector's 26th consecutive month of declines.

Service sector jobs also fell, losing 31,000 jobs in the month.

Companies with more than 500 workers lost 41,000 jobs during the month. Businesses with between 50 and 499 workers, lost 91,000 jobs, while smaller businesses lost 25,000 jobs, the report said.

It was the first monthly loss of jobs among smaller businesses since November 2002, ADP said.