Private payrolls grew by 122,000 in May, stronger than expected, ADP reports

Kendia Barrett (R) speaks with Broward Health recruiter, Nelia Zh, during the Mega JobNewsUSA South Florida Job Fair held in the Amerant Bank Arena on April 30, 2026 in Sunrise, Florida. Joe Raedle | Getty Images Private hiring expanded at a brisk pace in May, providing further indication of a stable labor market, ADP reported Wednesday. The payrolls processing firm said companies added 122,000 workers for the month, up from 105,000 in April and better than the Dow Jones consensus estimate for 110,000. May marked the strongest month since January 2025. April's total was revised down by 4,000. Unlike prior months, where job growth was concentrated in healthcare and a few other sectors, gains were more broad-based. Eight of the 10 sectors ADP tracks saw gains, and hiring was spread evenly both by company size and geography. Education and health services again led with 57,000 hires, but trade, transportation and utilities added 36,000, professional and business services contributed 11,000 and construction and leisure and hospitality both rose by 8,000. Information services lost 9,000, a possible impact from artificial intelligence growth, while natural resources and mining also reported a loss, down 3,000. "Hiring was more broad-based in May than we've seen in the last few years," ADP chief economist Nela Richardson said. …