Key Takeaways
- Private employers in the U.S. created 62,000 positions in March, exceeding the 38,500 forecast by economists.
- Companies employing fewer than 50 workers accounted for 85,000 new positions.
- The healthcare and education sectors contributed 58,000 new jobs, leading all industries.
- The construction industry added 30,000 positions, while manufacturing eliminated 11,000.
- A decline of 58,000 jobs in trade, transportation, and utilities partially offset overall gains.
Private sector employers across the United States created 62,000 new positions during March, surpassing Wall Street’s expectations by a significant margin, according to Wednesday’s release of the ADP National Employment Report. Market analysts polled by FactSet had projected a modest gain of only 38,500 jobs.
🚨ALERT: ADP Jobs Report data is out!
Actual: 62,000
Expected: 41,000 | Previous: 63,000 pic.twitter.com/DlqXpaqfuS— Coin Bureau (@coinbureau) April 1, 2026
March’s employment gains closely aligned with February’s adjusted figure of 66,000 private sector positions. This consistency suggests stable hiring momentum as markets await the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ comprehensive employment report scheduled for Friday.
ADP compiles its employment data from weekly payroll information representing more than 26 million workers in the private sector. Government employment figures, which will appear in Friday’s official release, are not reflected in ADP’s calculations.
Smaller enterprises emerged as the primary engine behind March’s employment expansion. Businesses employing fewer than 50 workers contributed 85,000 new positions throughout the month. The smallest companies in this category demonstrated particularly robust hiring activity.
Conversely, medium and large corporations displayed contrasting trends. Organizations with workforces exceeding 500 employees reduced their headcount during March, dampening the aggregate employment figure.
“Overall hiring is steady, but job growth continues to favor certain industries, including health care,” said Nela Richardson, ADP’s chief economist.
Healthcare and Construction Post Strong Gains
The healthcare and education industries combined to produce 58,000 new positions in March, representing the strongest sectoral performance in the entire report. These industries have maintained their position as reliable contributors to employment expansion throughout recent months.
The construction sector delivered 30,000 new jobs during March. Natural resources and mining operations contributed an additional 11,000 positions to the total.
Manufacturing demonstrated the inverse pattern. This critical sector eliminated approximately 11,000 positions throughout the month.
Trade and Transport Shed Jobs
The combined trade, transportation, and utilities sector experienced a reduction of approximately 58,000 positions in March. This represented the steepest sectoral contraction in the report and partially counterbalanced employment gains recorded in other areas.
The information sector, encompassing technology professionals, generated 16,000 new positions. The leisure and hospitality industry contributed 7,000 jobs to the total.
Employment expansion originated from both goods-producing and service-providing segments of the economy, based on ADP’s categorical breakdown.
Market economists had already anticipated a respectable government employment report prior to ADP’s data release. Current projections indicate approximately 59,000 new positions in Friday’s official Bureau of Labor Statistics report.
This would mark a substantial recovery from February, when government employment data indicated net job losses. The unemployment rate is projected to remain unchanged at 4.4%.
Friday’s official employment statistics derive from comprehensive government surveys and encompass a wider scope than ADP’s private-sector analysis.
