ADP Report: Private Employers Added 62,000 Jobs as Hiring Cooled From March
Private-sector employment grew by an estimated 62,000 jobs in April, a significant slowdown from the revised gain of 147,000 in March, according to the ADP National Employment Report released on April 30. Median wages for workers who remained in their roles rose 4.5% from the previous year, slightly below the 4.6% increase in March. Meanwhile, employees who changed jobs experienced a 6.9% pay bump, up from 6.7%. “Unease is the word of the day,” said Nela Richardson, ADP’s chief economist. “Employers are trying to balance policy and consumer uncertainty against a stream of mostly positive economic data, which makes hiring decisions particularly challenging.”
The report was released the same day the Bureau of Economic Analysis announced that the U.S. economy shrank by 0.3% in the first quarter of 2025—a sharp reversal from the 2.4% growth recorded in the previous quarter and the first economic contraction since 2022.
According to ADP, goods-producing industries added 26,000 jobs in April. Construction led the gains with 16,000 new positions, followed by natural resources and mining with 6,000, and manufacturing with a modest increase of 4,000.
In the service sector, employers added 34,000 jobs. Leisure and hospitality saw the largest growth, adding 27,000 roles, while trade, transportation, and utilities contributed 21,000. However, several sectors experienced losses: education and health services cut 23,000 jobs, the information sector shed 8,000, and professional and business services declined by 2,000.