economy
February 4, 2026
Private payrolls rose by just 22,000 in January, far short of expectations, ADP says
The U.S. labor market barely budged in January, with hiring below even muted expectations.
TL;DR
- Private companies added only 22,000 jobs in January, below expectations.
- The education and health services category was the primary driver of job growth.
- Hiring has been softening for the past three years, with employers showing reluctance to hire.
- 2025 job gains were weaker than initially reported, revised down by 18,000 per month.
- Professional and business services, other services, and manufacturing sectors reported job losses.
- Companies with 50-499 employees added all the jobs, while small firms were flat and large employers lost jobs.
- Wage growth for those staying in their jobs was 4.5%.
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