US Private Sector Adds More Jobs Than Expected: ADP

Private businesses in the US added a net 62,000 jobs in March of 2026, extending the upwardly revised 66,000 in February and above market expectations of a 40,000 increase. The result held signs of resilience in the labor market per the latest leading indicators, despite economic uncertainty and the pullback in the labor force growth amid lower immigration. Education and health services jobs rose by 58,000 to remain the main source of job growth. Other gains were seen in construction (30,000), natural resources and mining (11,000), information (16,000), leisure and hospitality (7,000), and financial activities (4,000). In turn, a net 58,000 jobs were lost in trade, transportation, and utilities, while 11,000 positions were lost in manufacturing. "Overall hiring is steady, but job growth continues to favor certain industries, including health care. In March, this solid performance was accompanied by a boost in pay gains for job-changers." - ADP Chief Economist Dr. Nela Richardson.

Private businesses in the US added 63K jobs in February 2026, the most since July, following a downwardly revised 11K rise in January and above forecasts of 50K. Education and health services added 58K, leading all sectors, followed by construction (19K), information (11K), financial activities (2K) and natural resources/mining (2K). On the other hand, professional/business services shed 30K jobs, manufacturing lost 5K and trade/transportation/utilities was down 1K. Small establishments created 60K jobs and large companies added 10K while medium ones shed 7K. Meanwhile, annual pay growth for job-stayers was unchanged at 4.5%. For job-changers, it slowed to 6.3%. "We've seen an increase in hiring and pay gains remain solid, especially for job-stayers. But with hiring concentrated in only a few sectors, our data shows no widespread pay benefit from changing jobs. In fact, the pay premium for switching employers hit a record low in February", Dr. Nela Richardson Chief Economist, ADP said.

Private businesses in the US added 22K jobs in January 2026, following a downwardly revised 37K rise in December and below forecasts of a 48K rise. In a lackluster month for hiring, health care was a standout, adding 74K jobs. Financial activities added 14K positions while construction rose by 9K and both the trade, transportation and utilities and the leisure and hospitality industries contributed 4K. On the other hand. Professional and business services shed 57K jobs, and manufacturing was down 8K, which has lost jobs every month since March 2024. Companies employing between 50 and 249 workers added 37K jobs, with small firms flat and large employers down 18K. "Job creation took a step back in 2025, with private employers adding 398K jobs, down from 771K in 2024. While we've seen a continuous and dramatic slowdown in job creation for the past three years, wage growth has remained stable", according to Dr. Nela Richardson Chief Economist, ADP