Figures on Wednesday showing the U.S. private sector added a paltry 13,000 jobs were disappointing and are consistent with expectations for a big drop in the upcoming non-farm payrolls report, Macroeconomic Advisers LLC chairman Joel Prakken said.

Prakken, whose firm jointly developed the ADP Employer Services report on private sector employment, told a teleconference that Friday's U.S. payrolls report from the government was likely to result in a very weak and negative number.

He also said the case was building for a downward revision to forecasts for gross domestic product growth in the second half of the year.

(Reporting by Burton Frierson, Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

U.S.