ADP: Private Employers Added 90,000 Jobs in September
Quick answer: Private-sector employers added 90,000 jobs in September 2026, according to the ADP National Employment Report released September 30. That beat economists' forecasts of about 70,000 and was up from a revised 36,000 in August. Education and health services led hiring, while median base pay rose 3.2% from a year earlier.
Key Takeaways
ADP says U.S. private employers added 90,000 jobs in September, the first acceleration in hiring since May.
The total topped economists' estimates of roughly 70,000, and August's figure was revised down to 36,000 from 38,000.
Education and health services added 55,000 jobs, while financial activities lost 16,000 and professional and business services lost 11,000.
Median base pay rose 3.2% year over year; workers who changed jobs saw 4.8% base pay growth versus 3.0% for those who stayed.
The government's official September jobs report is due Friday, and forecasts cited by Fox Business point to about 84,000 new jobs.
Hiring by U.S. private employers picked up in September after a three-month slowdown. The ADP National Employment Report, released Wednesday, September 30, 2026, shows companies added 90,000 jobs during the month, a stronger result than economists had expected and a clear step up from August.
ADP chief economist Nela Richardson called it "a strong report," adding that job creation rebounded while pay growth held up.
How many jobs did ADP report for September?
The headline figure was 90,000 private-sector jobs. According to Fox Business, economists had estimated a gain of about 70,000. ADP also revised its August number to 36,000 from the 38,000 it originally published, so September's total is roughly two and a half times the prior month.
ADP's Richardson put the result in context, pointing to a three-month stretch of slower hiring before September's rebound. For workers, the key question is whether this marks the start of a sustained pickup or a one-month bounce, which is why Friday's government data will be closely watched.
ADP said this was the first time hiring accelerated since May. The report is built from anonymized weekly payroll data covering more than 26 million private-sector employees, and it is produced by ADP Research with the Stanford Digital Economy Lab. Starting with this release, ADP said its figures also incorporate first-quarter Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in late August.
Which industries hired, and which cut jobs?
Service businesses accounted for 59,000 of the new jobs and goods producers for 31,000. The sector breakdown shows where opportunities are concentrated:
Education and health services: +55,000, the biggest gain by far
Leisure and hospitality: +22,000
Manufacturing: +17,000
Construction: +15,000
Other services: +6,000
Information: +3,000
Trade, transportation and utilities: no change
Natural resources and mining: -1,000
Professional and business services: -11,000
Financial activities: -16,000
The pattern matters for white-collar job seekers. Finance and professional services, which include many office, consulting and administrative roles, were the two weakest areas in the report, while hands-on and in-person work in health care, education, hospitality and the building trades carried the month.
Where in the U.S. was hiring strongest?
Regional results were uneven. The Northeast led with 56,000 jobs, driven by 47,000 in the Mid-Atlantic states. The West added 17,000, driven by 18,000 jobs in the Mountain states, while the Pacific states lost 1,000. The South added 11,000, with gains in the West South Central states (+22,000) offset by declines in the South Atlantic (-10,000). The Midwest added just 5,000, as losses in the East North Central states (-10,000) nearly cancelled gains in the West North Central region (+15,000).
By employer size, medium establishments with 50 to 499 workers did most of the hiring, adding 54,000 jobs. Small establishments with fewer than 50 employees added 23,000, and large ones with 500 or more added 14,000.
Did pay go up in September?
Yes, though growth was steady rather than accelerating. ADP Pay Insights, which tracks the same workers over 12 months, found:
Median base pay for all workers rose 3.2% year over year, and gross pay rose 4.7%.
Job-stayers saw base pay grow 3.0%; job-changers saw 4.8%.
On a gross pay basis, job-stayers gained 4.4% and job-changers 7.3%.
By sector, construction posted the fastest median base pay growth at 4.0%, followed by manufacturing and financial activities at 3.5% each.
Among firm sizes, medium employers with 50 to 249 workers reported the strongest median base pay growth at 3.5%, compared with 3.3% at firms with 250 to 499 workers and 3.2% at large firms with 500 or more. The gap between job-changers and job-stayers remains one of the clearest signals in the data: workers who move to a new employer are still being rewarded with noticeably bigger raises.
What happens next?
The ADP numbers arrive two days before the Labor Department's official nonfarm payrolls report, which is scheduled for Friday morning. The two reports can differ notably. Fox Business reported that forecasters expect the government data to show about 84,000 new jobs, with the unemployment rate expected to stay at 4.1%.
ADP's next National Employment Report, covering October, is scheduled for November 4, 2026, at 8:15 a.m. ET.
What this means for job seekers and workers
A 90,000-job month is an improvement, but it is still a modest pace of hiring, so a targeted search will work better than a broad one. Practical takeaways from the data:
Look where hiring is growing. Health care and education added the most jobs by a wide margin. Clinical, support and administrative roles at hospitals, clinics, schools and colleges are worth prioritizing, along with hospitality, manufacturing and construction.
Be realistic about office sectors. Finance and professional services shed jobs, so candidates in those fields should expect more competition and consider adjacent roles in health care or education administration.
Switching jobs still pays. Job-changers' base pay grew 4.8% compared with 3.0% for people who stayed put. If you are underpaid, a move or a data-backed raise request can make a difference.
Target mid-sized employers. Companies with 50 to 499 employees created the most jobs in September, so do not limit your search to big-name brands.
Watch Friday's official report. The government data will show whether this rebound is broad-based or limited to private payrolls.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many jobs were added in the September 2026 ADP report?
ADP reported that private employers added 90,000 jobs in September 2026. That was above economists' estimates of about 70,000 and up from a revised 36,000 in August.
Which sector added the most jobs in September according to ADP?
Education and health services led with 55,000 new jobs. Leisure and hospitality added 22,000, manufacturing 17,000 and construction 15,000.
Which industries lost jobs in the ADP September report?
Financial activities lost 16,000 jobs and professional and business services lost 11,000. Natural resources and mining shed 1,000, while trade, transportation and utilities was flat.
How much did wages grow in September 2026?
ADP said median base pay rose 3.2% year over year and gross pay rose 4.7%. Job-changers saw 4.8% base pay growth, compared with 3.0% for job-stayers.
When is the official September jobs report?
The Labor Department's nonfarm payrolls report is due Friday morning. Forecasts cited by Fox Business call for about 84,000 jobs and an unemployment rate of 4.1%.
Sources
Published September 30, 2026. This article was compiled from the sources listed above with AI-assisted writing and automated fact-checking. We update stories when new verified information becomes available.