Private-sector employers in the United States added 63,000 jobs in February, according to the latest data released in the ADP National Employment Report on March 4, 2026. The report provides an early snapshot of labour market conditions ahead of the government’s official employment data.
The report is based on anonymised payroll data from more than 26 million workers employed by private companies across the United States.
Hiring Rebounds After Weak January
February’s hiring marked a notable improvement compared with the previous month. Job growth for January was revised downward to 11,000 from the earlier estimate of 22,000, indicating that employment expansion had slowed at the beginning of the year.
Despite the modest scale of the increase, February’s figure represents the strongest monthly private-sector job growth since July 2025, suggesting a gradual stabilisation in the labour market.
Service Sector Drives Employment Growth
Most of the job gains in February were recorded in service-oriented industries.
The education and health services segment led employment growth by adding approximately 58,000 jobs during the month. Information services also posted gains of about 11,000 positions, while the financial activities sector reported a smaller increase of roughly 2,000 jobs.
Overall, service-providing industries contributed around 47,000 of the total employment gains during the month, highlighting continued demand for labour in these segments.
Mixed Trends Across Other Industries
Among goods-producing sectors, construction recorded the largest increase, adding approximately 19,000 jobs in February. Natural resources and mining also saw a modest increase of around 2,000 positions.
However, not all sectors experienced expansion. Manufacturing employment declined by about 5,000 jobs during the month. Professional and business services recorded one of the steepest declines, with payrolls falling by roughly 30,000 positions. Employment in trade, transportation and utilities also slipped slightly, declining by around 1,000 jobs.
Smaller Businesses Lead Hiring
The majority of new job creation came from smaller businesses. Companies employing fewer than 50 workers added nearly 60,000 jobs in February.
Mid-sized firms with 50 to 499 employees reported a net loss of about 7,000 jobs during the month. Meanwhile, large companies with more than 500 employees added roughly 10,000 positions.
Wage Growth Remains Stable
The report also highlighted stable wage trends in the labour market. Annual pay growth for employees who remained with their current employers stood at 4.5 percent in February, unchanged from January.
Workers who switched jobs continued to see stronger wage growth, with annual increases averaging 6.3 percent. However, the gap between wage growth for job switchers and employees staying in their existing roles narrowed slightly compared with previous months.
Summary:
The ADP National Employment Report showed that US private-sector employers added 63,000 jobs in February 2026, marking the strongest monthly gain since July 2025. Employment growth was mainly driven by service sectors such as education and health services, while construction also contributed to job creation. Small businesses accounted for most of the hiring, and wage growth remained stable at 4.5% for existing employees and 6.3% for job switchers.
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