ADP: Jan Jobs +22K; Private Sector Hiring Slows to Lowest Rate in 2026 (Jan 04, 2026)

Private-sector hiring added just 22,000 jobs in January, well below economists’ average forecast of 45,000 and down from the revised 37,000 in December. The education and health services sectors accounted for the entire gain, with health care adding 74,000, per ADP. Professional and business services lost 57,000, the sharpest decline for that sector since August 2024; manufacturing shed 8,000, continuing monthly job losses since March 2024. Annual pay growth for those staying in the labor force was 4.5% in January, up from 6.4% for job changers. ADP revised prior months’ estimates to align with the more comprehensive Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages data through March 2025. The BLS has not yet released its January jobs report schedule, with the official unemployment data report typically issued the week after the end of January.