ADP Private Sector Job Growth Exceeds Forecasts in February, Market Awaits Official Data

Wednesday, March 4, 2026 at 1:41 PM

Economic Data Job Growth Labor Market Private Payrolls

Automatic Data Processing (ADP) reported a solid increase in private-sector employment for February, adding 63,000 jobs.

This figure significantly surpassed analysts' expectations of 48,000 new positions and marked a substantial rebound from January's revised 11,000 jobs. While the ADP report offers an early glimpse into the labor market, its predictive accuracy has been inconsistent; last month, ADP's initial January estimate of 22,000 jobs was a poor guide to the Labor Department's much stronger official figure of 130,000.

The official January report had previously fueled optimism for a turnaround from 2025's sluggish hiring, with the unemployment rate ticking down to 4.3%. However, concerns persist regarding the concentration of January's job gains in healthcare and recent downward revisions to 2025's overall job estimates.

Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal are currently forecasting the official February jobs report, due in two days, to show 50,000 new jobs and a stable 4.3% unemployment rate.

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