By Matt Grossman
Hiring by private-sector employers picked up in April, human-resources company ADP said Wednesday, the latest hint that the labor market may have found more stability.
In April, the private sector added a net 109,000 jobs, versus 61,000 added in March. Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal had expected to see 84,000 new jobs last month.
As over much of the past year, the education and healthcare fields led job creation, adding 61,000 roles. Beyond that, gains were widespread, touching sectors from manufacturing and transportation to finance and leisure/hospitality. The professional and business services category was a laggard, shedding 8,000 jobs.
Hiring has broadly slowed over the past year, with the labor market settling into a less dynamic gear. Amid an uncertain economic outlook, many managers have been hesitant to add staff.
Yet over the past few months, more evidence has emerged that the employment picture is stabilizing. Labor Department data published Tuesday showed an uptick in the hiring rate in March. So far this year, the broader economy has added an average of just under 70,000 jobs a month, per official labor-market data, a respectable rate. Layoffs have remained low.
ADP's jobs data differ from official government numbers. ADP's private-sector jobs figures are based on a large sample of the company's business clients, which are then adjusted to better represent the broader economy.
The Labor Department's monthly payroll numbers are based on a survey that goes out to hundreds of thousands of establishments, and also include government employment. That official April jobs report is due Friday morning.
Write to Matt Grossman at matt.grossman@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
05-06-26 0847ET
