US Private Employment Growth Slows in July

Private businesses in the US added 44K jobs in July 2026, the least in six months, following a downwardly revised 95K gain in June and below forecasts of 70K. The services sector added 47K jobs, led by education and health services (36K), financial activities (10K), professional and business (9K) and information (5K) while job losses occurred in trade, transportation, and utilities (-8K) and leisure and hospitality (-11K). Meanwhile, the goods-producing sector shed 3K jobs, amid a fall in natural resources and mining (-6K) which offset gains in manufacturing (2K) and construction (1K). Year-over-year, pay gains held steady at 4.4% for those staying in their jobs but job switchers saw a 7% increase, the largest since August 2025. "Job-changers are highly sensitive to real-time economic conditions, and their rapid pay growth implies supply constraints in parts of the labor market", according to Dr. Nela Richardson Chief Economist, ADP.

Private businesses in the US added 98K jobs in June 2026, below 122K in May and forecasts of 113K. Education and health services (48K) added the most jobs, followed by trade, transportation and utilities (15K), financial activities (14K) and information (7K) while leisure and hospitality delivered a sixth month of weak hiring (2K). Small job gains also occurred in professional and business services (2K), construction (2K) and manufacturing (5K) while the natural resources and mining shed 5K jobs. Small companies added 53K jobs, mid-sized 29K and large companies 25K. "The pace of hiring is telling a story of both supply and demand. We know it's taking people longer to find work, but there also are signs of labor supply constraints in certain industries. For now, the overall effect is a slowdown in job creation", Dr. Nela Richardson Chief Economist, ADP said. Meanwhile, annual pay gains for those staying in their jobs held steady at 4.4% while edging higher to 6.6% for job switchers.

Private businesses in the US added a net 122,000 jobs in May 2026, a new high since January 2025, compared to a downwardly revised 105,000 in April and above forecasts of 117,000. "Hiring was more broad-based in May than we've seen in the last few years. The labor market continues to show sustained momentum going into the summer hiring season", according to Dr. Nela Richardson Chief Economist, ADP. Job gains occured in education and health services (57K), trade, transportation, and utilities (36K), professional and business services (11K), leisure and hospitality (8K), construction (8K), financial activities (7K) and manufacturing (3K). In contrast, the natural resources and mining sector shed 3K jobs and information lost 9K. Meanwhile, companies with fewer than 50 employees added 67K new hires, those with 500 or more added 40K and medium-sized firms contributed 17K. Annual pay growth for those staying in their jobs stayed at 4.4% while for job-switchers it edge higher to 6.6%.