ROSELAND, N.J., May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Private sector employment increased by 109,000 jobs in April and pay was up 4.4 percent year-over-year according to the April ADP National Employment Report® produced by ADP Research in collaboration with the Stanford Digital Economy Lab (“Stanford Lab”).  

The ADP National Employment Report is an independent measure of the labor market based on the anonymized weekly payroll data of more than 26 million private-sector employees in the United States. ADP’s Pay Insights captures over 15 million individual pay change observations each month. Together, the jobs report and pay insights use ADP’s fine-grained data to provide a representative and high-frequency picture of the private-sector labor market.

“Small and large employers are hiring, but we’re seeing softness in the middle,” said Dr. Nela Richardson, chief economist, ADP. “Large companies have resources to deploy, and small ones are the most nimble, both important advantages in a complex labor environment.”

April 2026 Report Highlights

View the ADP National Employment Report and interactive charts at https://adpemploymentreport.com/.

JOBS REPORT

Private employers added 109,000 jobs in April
Health care’s continued strength, along with a rebound in trade, transportation, and utilities, fueled last month’s acceleration in hiring. It was the fastest pace of job growth since January 2025.

Change in U.S. Private Employment:     109,000

Change by Industry

–     Goods-producing:     15,000

• Natural resources/mining     3,000
• Construction     10,000
• Manufacturing     2,000

–     Service-providing:     94,000

• Trade/transportation/utilities     25,000
• Information     4,000
• Financial activities     9,000
• Professional/business services     -8,000
• Education/health services     61,000
• Leisure/hospitality     4,000
• Other services     -1,000

Change by U.S. Regions

–     Northeast:     18,000

• New England     13,000
• Mid-Atlantic     5,000

–     Midwest:     11,000

• East North Central     6,000
• West North Central     5,000

–     South:     34,000

• South Atlantic     1,000
• East South Central     17,000
• West South Central     16,000

–     West:     46,000

• Mountain     18,000
• Pacific     28,000

Change by Establishment Size

–     Small establishments:     65,000

• 1-19 employees     43,000
• 20-49 employees     22,000

–     Medium establishments:     2,000

• 50-249 employees     5,000
• 250-499 employees     -3,000

–     Large establishments:     42,000

• 500+ employees     42,000

PAY INSIGHTS

Pay for job-stayers rose 4.4 percent in April
Pay growth for job-stayers slowed slightly to 4.4 percent. For job-changers, year-over-year pay gains were steady at 6.6 percent.

Median Change in Annual Pay

–     Job-stayers     4.4%
–     Job-changers     6.6%

Median Change in Annual Pay for Job-Stayers by Industry

–     Goods-producing:                                                   

• Natural resources/mining     4.3%
• Construction     4.5%
• Manufacturing     4.8%

–     Service-providing:                       

• Trade/transportation/utilities     4.4%
• Information     4.0%
• Financial activities     5.1%
• Professional/business services     4.1%
• Education/health services     4.2%
• Leisure/hospitality     4.5%
• Other services     4.1%

Median Change in Annual Pay for Job-Stayers by Firm Size

–     Small firms:             

• 1-19 employees     2.5%
• 20-49 employees     4.1%

–     Medium firms:             

• 50-249 employees     4.7%
• 250-499 employees     4.8%

–     Large firms:             

• 500+ employees     4.8%

To see Pay Insights by U.S. State, Gender, and Age for Job-Stayers, visit here:

The March total number of jobs added was revised from 62,000 to 61,000.

For additional information about the ADP National Employment Report, including historical files, employment and pay data, methodology, and a calendar of release dates, please visit https://adpemploymentreport.com/.   

The May 2026 ADP National Employment Report will be released on June 3, 2026 at 8:15 a.m. ET.

About ADP Research
The mission of ADP Research is to make the future of work more productive through data-driven discovery. Companies, workers, and policy makers rely on our finely tuned data and unique perspective to make informed decisions that impact workplaces around the world.

To subscribe to monthly email alerts or obtain additional information about ADP Research, including employment and pay data, methodology, and a calendar of release dates, please visit https://www.adpresearch.com.   

About ADP (NASDAQ: ADP)
ADP has been shaping the world of work with innovation and expertise for more than 75 years. As a global leader in HR and payroll solutions, ADP continuously works to solve business challenges for our clients and their workers, from simple, easy-to-use tools for small businesses to fully integrated platforms for global enterprises – and everything in between. Always Designing for People means we’re focused on just that – people. We use our unmatched AI-driven insights and proven expertise to design innovative solutions that help people achieve greater success at work. More than 1.1 million clients across 140+ countries rely on ADP’s exceptional service to support their people and drive their business forward. HR, Talent, Time Management, Benefits, Compliance, and Payroll. Learn more at ADP.com

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