The Dow Jones industrial average was down 0.1% and the Standard & Poor's 500 index dropped 0.1%. The Nasdaq composite index was flat.
Payroll processor ADP said Wednesday that businesses added 139,000 jobs last month, up from 127,000 in January. But January's figure was revised sharply lower from an original estimate of 175,000. Economists expected ADP to report 158,000 additional private-sector jobs, according to a consensus forecast
The ADP numbers cover only private businesses and often diverge from the government's more comprehensive report. The U.S. Department of Labor releases its own employment report Friday. Economists believe that the U.S. will report that employers generated 145,000 jobs in February.
Investors were also awaiting on a report on the service sector due Wednesday morning.
The drop comes a day the Standard & Poor's 500 index surged to a new record high on perceived cooling tensions in Ukraine.
UKRAINE: Russia's Putin appears to blink
Overseas, European markets were trading slightly lower. Germany's DAX index was down 0.2% and France's CAC 40 fell 0.1%. Britain's FTSE 100 index was down 0.5%.
Across Asia, regional traders are focusing on the start of the National People's Congress in China for signs of the direction of the Chinese economy and growth targets. The Chinese economy remains critical for region growth.
The Shanghai composite index fell 0.9% to 2, 053.08. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 gained 1.2% to 14, 897.63. The Hang Seng index in Hong Kong dipped 0.3% to 22,579.78.
CHINA: Pledges to keep hold of 7.5% growth rate
On Tuesday, the S&P 500 added 1.53% to close at a record 1,873.91. The Dow rose 227.85 points, or 1.41%, to 16,395.88. The Nasdaq composite rose 74.67 points, or 1.75%, to 4,351.97.
TUESDAY: Stock markets bust past big round numbers
Contribu! ting: The Associated Press
Stocks fell slightly at the open on Wall Street Wednesday after a report showed businesses added a lower-than-expected 139,000 jobs in February.
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