US Private-Sector Hiring Picks Up: ADP Counts 90,000 New Jobs

US private-sector employers added 90,000 jobs in September, more than doubling the revised 36,000 gain recorded in August, according to payroll processor ADP's National Employment Report. The August figure itself carries a caution flag: the American Bankers Association notes it was initially reported at 38,000 before being revised downward, a reminder that first prints of hiring data routinely move.

The sector breakdown shows how uneven the rebound is. Education and health services drove essentially all of the net growth, adding 55,000 positions. Financial activities moved in the opposite direction, shedding 16,000 jobs. That split matters for anyone weighing a job switch: demand is concentrating in healthcare-adjacent and education roles, while finance is contracting on ADP's payroll books this month.

Firm size tells a similarly fragmented story. Businesses with fewer than 50 employees added just 3,000 jobs. Companies with 50 to 499 employees contributed nothing to net job growth. Employers with 500 or more workers gained 34,000 jobs. In practical terms, nearly all of September's measured hiring momentum sits inside large corporations, while small and mid-sized firms — historically the economy's volume hirers — stayed on the sidelines.

For an individual job seeker, the numbers translate into a specific market position rather than a general one. If you work in education or health services, openings are expanding and your bargaining position at large employers is likely improving. If you are in financial activities, ADP's data suggests headcount is being cut, which argues for scrutinizing internal mobility options and demand for your skills outside the sector before making a move.

ADP's report draws on anonymized payroll data from more than 26 million private-sector employees in the United States, a sample economists and policymakers watch closely as a read on private hiring. The company also flags the structural forces shaping the current labor market: demographic changes, persistent inflation, and the impact of AI on jobs.

The ADP print traditionally serves as a precursor to the government's official jobs report, which is scheduled for release on Friday, October 3. Economists will be watching whether the Bureau of Labor Statistics data confirms the sector concentration and large-firm dominance visible in ADP's September payroll sample.