Private sector job creation was stronger than expected in April, providing more evidence of a stable labor market and less incentive for the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates amid persistently higher inflation, ADP reported Wednesday.
The payrolls processing firm said companies added 109,000 jobs for the month, a step up from the 61,000 created in March and better than the Dow Jones consensus estimate for 84,000. April’s gains were the best for the ADP count since January 2025. The March total was revised down by 1,000.
Wages for those staying in their jobs rose 4.4% annually, down 0.1 percentage point.
As has been the case, job creation was concentrated in a few key categories, an indication that while hiring overall is solid, the benefits are not being spread out over sectors.
Education and health services again dominated, adding 61,000 new hires. Trade, transportation and utilities saw a gain of 25,000. Construction, another consistent leader in recent months, rose by 10,000, while financial activities contributed 9,000.
