ADP: US Private Payrolls Rose 90,000 in September, Topping 68,000 Estimate

U.S. private employers added 90,000 jobs in September, payroll processor ADP reported Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, rebounding from a downwardly revised 36,000 in August and beating the Dow Jones consensus estimate of 68,000. Service-providing sectors contributed 59,000 jobs and goods producers 31,000. Education and health services led with 55,500, followed by leisure and hospitality at 22,000, manufacturing at 17,000 and construction at 15,000. Financial activities shed 16,000 jobs and professional and business services lost 11,000. Pay for job stayers rose 3.2% year-over-year, while job changers saw a 4.7% gain. ADP chief economist Nela Richardson called it a strong report, noting hiring rebounded after three months of slowing and wage growth held steady. The data supports Fed officials' view that the labor market remains broadly solid, with persistent inflation seen as the greater policy risk after September's quarter-point rate hike. Investors now await Friday's October 4 nonfarm payrolls report, forecast at 84,000, with unemployment seen holding at 4.1%.