By Matt Grossman
Hiring by American businesses remained resilient in May, according to the latest monthly numbers from human-resources firm ADP, adding to evidence that the U.S. labor market has found more solid footing.
Private companies added a net 122,000 jobs in May, ADP said Wednesday morning, tacking on more solid gains after the 105,000 roles added in April. Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal were expecting to see 110,000 new private-sector jobs.
Continuing a recent pattern, the gains were heavily reliant on hiring in the education and health fields, which added 57,000 new jobs. But net hiring also was widespread. The trade, transportation and utilities sector added 36,000 jobs, the construction industry added 8,000 jobs and the financial sector added 7,000.
"Hiring was more broad-based in May than we've seen in the last few years," ADP Chief Economist Nela Richardson said. "The labor market continues to show sustained momentum going into the summer hiring season."
The numbers land two days before the official May jobs report from the Labor Department. ADP's figures are based on payroll changes seen among the company's broad base of corporate clients. The Labor Department numbers, which also include public-sector jobs, derive from a monthly survey of hundreds of thousands of employers.
Before ADP's numbers were released, economists had been expecting that Friday's jobs report will show the economy added a net 80,000 positions in May, with unemployment holding steady at 4.3%.
Write to Matt Grossman at matt.grossman@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 03, 2026 08:38 ET (12:38 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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