Labor Market · September 2, 2026 · 1 min read

ADP: Private Payrolls Add Just 38,000 in August, Slowest Since January

Published September 2, 2026

Private-sector hiring badly missed forecasts as ADP reported the weakest monthly job growth since January, with manufacturing and professional services both shedding workers.

**ADP payrolls miss forecast badly** — U.S. private employers added just 38,000 jobs in August, according to the ADP National Employment Report released this morning, well short of the roughly 48,000 economists expected and the slowest pace of hiring since January. July's total was revised up slightly to 46,000. **Hiring gains concentrated, losses widen** — Education and health services alone added 45,000 jobs and leisure/hospitality added 16,000, but manufacturing (-17,000) and professional/business services (-16,000) both cut positions. ADP chief economist Dr. Nela Richardson called it "choppy hiring," noting pay growth patterns are diverging sharply by sector and company size.

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