ADP data show broad U.S. hiring in May

U.S. private‑sector employers added 122,000 jobs in May 2026, according to payroll processor ADP (ADP)’s latest report released June 3. The gain marked ADP’s largest monthly increase in private payrolls since January 2025.

May’s hiring outpaced both the Dow Jones consensus estimate of 110,000 jobs and Bloomberg’s median forecast of 120,000. It also represented an acceleration from April, when ADP recorded 105,000 new private‑sector positions.

ADP said the May results reflected a pickup in private hiring momentum compared with the prior month. The firm highlighted the May outcome as the strongest month for private payroll gains since early 2025.

Hiring in May was broadly distributed across the economy, with eight of the 10 sectors tracked by ADP reporting job growth. Education and health services posted the largest increase, adding about 57,000 positions.

The trade, transportation and utilities category contributed roughly 36,000 jobs. Professional and business services added about 11,000 positions, while construction and leisure and hospitality each gained around 8,000 jobs.

Information services was a notable weak spot, losing 9,000 jobs in May. Despite that decline, ADP described overall hiring as broad‑based across most private industries.

The report also detailed pay trends, showing continued annual wage growth for both job stayers and job switchers. For employees who remained in their current roles, pay was up 4.4% year over year in May.

Workers who changed jobs saw stronger wage gains, with annual pay growth of 6.5%. ADP noted that pay growth for job switchers had slowed to that 6.5% rate, while wage gains for job stayers held at 4.4%.

These pay figures accompany the pickup in hiring, offering an additional gauge of labor‑market conditions alongside the payroll counts.

The ADP data arrived ahead of the U.S. government’s official employment report, which is closely monitored by market participants and policymakers. Investors and officials use the figures to assess the strength and momentum of the labor market.

With May’s private‑sector payrolls marking the strongest ADP reading since January 2025 and wage growth remaining elevated, the report adds to the picture of ongoing hiring across much of the economy.