Many home buyers have been reluctant in recent weeks to move forward on home purchases due to fears that the country could be heading to a double-dip recession, but new data suggests they have nothing to fear.

The job picture seems to be improving, according to new economic data. For example, a report from ADP, a payroll processing company, showed that private employers had added 91,000 new jobs in August--after expanding by 114,000 in July. Also, unemployment rates were lower in July than a year earlier in 257 of the 372 metro areas, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The government’s labor market report, coming on Friday, also is expected to show a modest increase in employment.

What’s more, the number of planned layoffs at companies, which has been rising for the last three months, curtailed in August. 

“The labor market is soft but not falling apart,” says Joel L. Naroff, chief economist at Naroff Economic Advisors in Holland, Pa. “The economy is not on the verge of a recession.”

Also, economic data pointed to a strong rebound in demand for manufactured goods in July, particularly for cars. Orders for motor vehicles posted their largest gain since 2003