Private-Sector Hiring Slowed in August - ADP Report -- Update

By Jessica Coacci

Hiring by private-sector employers saw softer growth last month, according to human-resources company ADP.

Private companies added a net 38,000 jobs in August, after adding a revised 46,000 jobs in July, ADP said. August saw the slowest pace of job creation since January.

Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal had expected to see 47,000 new private-sector jobs added.

Hiring gains continued in the education and health sector, which added 45,000 jobs. The manufacturing sector was a laggard, shedding 17,000 jobs.

Pay growth for job-stayers was unchanged at 3%, while pay growth for job-changers edged down, ADP said.

The ADP report precedes additional jobs data from the Labor Department on Friday. ADP's report is based on anonymized payroll data from more than 26 million U.S. employees in the private sector. The Labor Department's employment report includes both private-and public-sector jobs and is based on separate government surveys.

Before ADP's numbers were released, economists had expected Friday's jobs report to show 53,000 jobs added in August and the unemployment rate to hold at 4.1%.

Write to Jessica Coacci at jessica.coacci@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 02, 2026 08:37 ET (12:37 GMT)