U.S. private payrolls add only 38,000 in August, weakest since January, ADP reports
ADP reported that U.S. private-sector employers added 38,000 jobs in August 2026, missing the Dow Jones consensus estimate of 47,000 and marking the smallest monthly gain since January. Education and health services led hiring with 45,000 jobs, while manufacturing lost 17,000 and professional/business services lost 16,000. Large businesses drove gains, adding 34,000 jobs. The report precedes the Bureau of Labor Statistics' nonfarm payrolls release on Friday.
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ADP August 2026 private payrolls miss expectations at 38,000, weakest since January
ADP reported that private-sector employment in the United States increased by only 38,000 jobs in August 2026, falling short of the Dow Jones consensus estimate of 47,000 and marking the weakest monthly total since January. The figure also came in below July's upwardly revised gain of 46,000. Education and health services led hiring with 45,000 new positions, while leisure and hospitality added 16,000 and construction gained 12,000. However, manufacturing lost 17,000 jobs, professional and business services fell by 16,000, and several other sectors also declined. Large businesses with 500 or more employees accounted for 34,000 of the new jobs, while small firms added just 3,000. Regionally, the Northeast added 38,000 positions, while the West lost 8,000 and the South added only 3,000. ADP's pay data showed annual base pay growth for job-stayers held steady at 3.0%, with gross pay at 4.4%. ADP also expanded its Pay Insights report to include base pay data and coverage of 56 U.S. metropolitan areas. The report comes amid broader labor market softness, with total hires slipping to 5.1 million in July and the quits rate falling to 1.9%. The Bureau of Labor Statistics' August nonfarm payrolls report is expected on Friday, with analysts forecasting 53,000 jobs added and the unemployment rate remaining at 4.1%.
ADP August 2026 private payrolls miss expectations at 38,000, weakest since January
ADP reported that private-sector employment in the US increased by only 38,000 jobs in August 2026, missing the Dow Jones consensus estimate of 47,000 and marking the weakest monthly total since January. The figure also fell below July's upwardly revised gain of 46,000. Education and health services led hiring with 45,000 new positions, while leisure and hospitality added 16,000 and construction 12,000. However, manufacturing lost 17,000 jobs, professional and business services fell by 16,000, and natural resources/mining and trade/transportation/utilities each declined by 5,000. Large employers with 500+ workers accounted for 34,000 of the gains, while small firms added just 3,000. Regionally, the Northeast added 38,000 jobs, the West lost 8,000, and the South added 3,000. ADP's pay data showed annual base pay growth for job-stayers held at 3.0% and gross pay at 4.4%, unchanged from July. ADP chief economist Nela Richardson cited demographic change, persistent inflation, and AI's effects on jobs as complicating wage growth. The Bureau of Labor Statistics' August nonfarm payrolls report is expected Friday, with analysts forecasting 53,000 jobs added and unemployment at 4.1%.
US private sector adds 38,000 jobs in August, missing ADP expectations
According to payroll processor ADP, private-sector employers in the United States added only 38,000 jobs in August 2026, falling short of the 47,000 gain expected by economists polled by Bloomberg. July's job gains were revised slightly upward to 46,000. The education and healthcare sectors accounted for the bulk of new hires, while manufacturing and business and professional services experienced job losses. ADP chief economist Nela Richardson noted that there remains opportunity to boost wages by changing jobs despite a low-fire, low-hire labor market. Job switchers saw their base wages increase by 4.7% year-over-year, compared to 3% for those who stayed in their positions. The Labor Department is set to release its own more comprehensive August jobs data on Friday, which economists expect to show total US job growth of 55,000. ADP's data is based on payroll information from millions of private-sector employers.
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ADP says private sector added 38,000 jobs in August, below expectations
Payroll processing firm ADP reported that the U.S. private sector added only 38,000 jobs in August 2026, falling short of economists' expectations of 48,000 and down from a revised 46,000 in July. This marks the lowest monthly gain since January. Education and health services led job creation with 45,000 positions, followed by leisure and hospitality (16,000), and financial activities and other services (6,000 each). On the downside, manufacturing lost 17,000 jobs and professional and business services lost 16,000. Large businesses with 500+ employees added 34,000 jobs, while small firms added 3,000 and mid-sized firms saw flat hiring. Pay for job-stayers rose 4.4% year-over-year, while job-changers saw wage growth accelerate to 7.3%. The ADP report precedes the Labor Department's nonfarm payrolls report expected Friday, which economists forecast will show a gain of 56,000 jobs.
Private payrolls rose by 38,000 in August, fewer than expected, ADP reports
Private U.S. companies added 38,000 jobs in August, according to ADP, falling short of the Dow Jones consensus estimate of 47,000 and marking the smallest gain since January. The July figure was revised upward to 46,000. Job growth was concentrated in three sectors: education and health services (45,000), leisure and hospitality (16,000), and construction (12,000). Manufacturing lost 17,000 jobs, professional and business services declined by 16,000, and natural resources/mining as well as trade/transportation/utilities each fell by 5,000. Large businesses with 500+ employees drove most gains, adding 34,000 jobs, while small firms with fewer than 50 employees added only 3,000. Pay growth remained steady, with base pay rising 3% year-over-year for job-stayers and gross pay up 4.4%. The ADP report precedes the Bureau of Labor Statistics' nonfarm payrolls release on Friday, which is expected to show an increase of 53,000 jobs after July's decline of 23,000, with the unemployment rate forecast at 4.1%.