U.S. private-sector employment increased by 38,000 jobs in August, according to the ADP National Employment Report. The result was below July's revised 46,000 gain, which was revised from 44,000, and marked private employers' slowest pace of job creation since January.
The report is produced by ADP Research in collaboration with the Stanford Digital Economy Lab. Its August reading points to a modest net increase in private hiring, with the overall gain reflecting sharply different results between goods-producing businesses and service providers.
Data Snapshot
| Metric | Current | Previous | Change | Period | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Change in U.S. Private Employment | 38,000 | — | — | August 2026 | September 2, 2026 | ADP |
| Change in U.S. Private Employment | 38,000 | 46,000 | The July total number of jobs added was revised from 44,000 to 46,000. | August 2026 compared with July 2026 | September 2, 2026 | ADP |
| Goods-producing | -10,000 | — | — | August 2026 | September 2, 2026 | ADP |
| Service-providing | 48,000 | — | — | August 2026 | September 2, 2026 | ADP |
| Median Change in Base Pay — All workers | 3.2% | — | — | Year over year, August 2026 | September 2, 2026 | ADP |
| Median Change in Gross Pay — All workers | 4.7% | — | — | Year over year, August 2026 | September 2, 2026 | ADP |
Goods-producing employment split
Goods-producing employers lost 10,000 jobs in August and service-providing employers added 48,000, ADP reported, leaving private employment up 38,000 overall.
Within the industry breakdown, ADP recorded losses in manufacturing, professional services and information, alongside solid hiring in education and health care, construction, and leisure and hospitality. The result was a positive private-employment total without broad gains across every major part of the private sector: service-providing employment rose as goods-producing employment moved lower.
ADP Pay Insights graphic accompanying the August 2026 employment report. — Source: ADP
Pay-growth measures
For all workers, ADP reported a 3.2% year-over-year median change in base pay and a 4.7% year-over-year median change in gross pay in August 2026.
ADP included the measures with its private-employment estimate. The reported data provided no prior-period comparison for either one.
Neither figure is a count of jobs added or lost; the measures describe compensation and should not be treated as a direct measure of the August hiring total.
Next labor-market release
The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment Situation for August 2026 is scheduled for Friday, September 4, 2026, at 8:30 a.m., according to its release schedule. It will be the next concrete observation point for the August labor market.
Because the release is separate from ADP's private-sector employment estimate, its figures and ADP's should not be treated as interchangeable.
