ADP says private hiring rebounded to 90,000 jobs in September
ADP said private employers added 90,000 jobs in September, above the Dow Jones consensus of 68,000, in figures released Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
Key takeaways
Private employers added 90,000 jobs in September, ADP said at 8:15 a.m. Eastern on Wednesday, 22,000 above the Dow Jones consensus of 68,000. ADP said hiring accelerated for the first time since May, from 36,000 jobs in August.
"It's a strong report," said Dr. Nela Richardson, ADP's chief economist. "After a three-month slowdown, job creation rebounded and pay growth remained solid."
The gains were concentrated. Education and health services added 55,000 of the 90,000 jobs, and the Northeast added 56,000, 47,000 of them in the Mid-Atlantic. Financial activities and professional and business services together cut 27,000.
Base pay for workers who stayed in their jobs rose 3.0% from a year earlier, the same pace as in August. For workers who changed jobs it rose 4.8%, up 0.1 percentage point. Gross pay, including bonuses and tips, was unchanged, at 4.4% for those who stayed and 7.3% for those who switched.
What the Fed is watching
On September 16 the Federal Reserve's policy committee voted 12-0 to raise its benchmark interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point, to a range of 3.75% to 4%. It meets again on October 27 and 28, and announces its next decision on October 28.
Chairman Kevin Warsh said the employment side was in good shape. The Bureau of Labor Statistics put August unemployment at 4.1%.
"Our predominant focus is on the price-stability side of our mandate," he said. "The plain fact is that inflation is too high and has been for too long."
At 8:30 a.m. Eastern, fifteen minutes after ADP, the Bureau of Economic Analysis said prices for what consumers buy rose 3.4% in August from a year earlier, below a Dow Jones forecast of 3.7%. Without food and energy, the measure the Fed watches closely rose 3.0%, below the Dow Jones forecast of 3.3%. The Fed's goal is 2%.
After that release, the 10-year Treasury yield was at 5.23%, down from its highest since 2007, and Dow futures were up 100 points.
Not Friday's number
ADP builds its count from the weekly payroll records of more than 26 million private-sector workers at its client firms. It says the report is not meant to forecast the government's, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes on Friday, October 2, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern.
In August the private counts were far apart. ADP put the gain at 36,000. The government reported 127,000. Reuters said ADP has been a poor gauge of the government's private payrolls estimate.
Economists polled by Reuters expect Friday's report to show 90,000 new jobs, 85,000 of them at private employers, with unemployment holding at 4.1%.
Frequently asked
How did September hiring compare with the forecast?
Private employers added 90,000 jobs, 22,000 above the Dow Jones consensus of 68,000.
Which industries added the jobs?
Education and health services added 55,000 of the 90,000 jobs, while financial activities and professional and business services together cut 27,000.
When does the government publish its jobs report?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes it on Friday, October 2, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern.
What do economists expect on Friday?
Economists polled by Reuters expect 90,000 new jobs, 85,000 of them at private employers, with unemployment holding at 4.1%.
