Private sector added 109,000 jobs in April, above expectations, ADP says
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Companies in the private sector added 109,000 jobs in April, payroll processing firm ADP said in its latest report on Wednesday.
The figure is above economists’ estimates of a gain of 99,000 jobs. The prior month's payrolls number was revised lower to a gain of 61,000 from an initially reported gain of 62,000.
U.S. private payrolls climbed by 109,000 in April, ADP said on Wednesday. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)
Which industries are hiring the most workers, according to the ADP report?
Education and health services added 61,000 positions, leading job creation in April. Trade, transportation and utilities added 25,000, construction gained 10,000 and financial activities added 9,000.
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Education and health services led hiring in the month of April, according to ADP. (iStock)
Leisure and hospitality and information each added 4,000 jobs, while natural resources and mining gained 3,000. Manufacturing added 2,000.
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On the negative side, professional and business services lost 8,000 jobs and other services lost 1,000 positions.
Large businesses – those with 500 or more employees – gained 42,000 jobs in April. Businesses with 50 to 499 employees gained 2,000 workers. Establishments with fewer than 50 employees gained 65,000 jobs.
Small businesses hired 65,000 workers in April, according to the latest ADP data. (Getty Images)
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Wage growth in April slowed slightly from last month. People staying in their roles saw their pay climb 4.4% from the prior year, while pay gains for those changing their jobs remained steady at 6.6%.
What experts are saying about the ADP report data
"Small and large employers are hiring, but we're seeing softness in the middle," said ADP chief economist Nela Richardson. "Large companies have resources to deploy, and small ones are the most nimble, both important advantages in a complex labor environment."
"The U.S. labor market appears to be stabilizing," said Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union. "That’s the first step in a recovery. Job gains in April were the strongest since January 2025, according to ADP. Even smaller firms that were hit hard by tariffs last year are finally hiring again. Health care is still responsible for the majority of hiring, but a few other industries are starting to add headcount as well. The official April Jobs Report on Friday is likely to show solid job gains and potentially a drop in the unemployment rate."
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