The US private sector added 63,000 jobs in February, according to the ADP National Employment Report, exceeding expectations despite a sharp downward revision of January's data from 22,000 to 11,000. While health services and construction drove hiring, the report noted modest declines in manufacturing and trade, alongside a larger drop in professional and business services. Significantly, annualized pay growth for job-changers slowed to 6.3%, with the pay premium for switching employers hitting a record low, according to ADP’s chief economist. These cooling wage pressures provide a nuanced signal for the Federal Reserve as it monitors the labor market's influence on inflation. Market attention now shifts to the upcoming official non-farm payrolls (NFP) report, where forecasts project an addition of only 58,000 jobs, down from 130,000 last month. The latest figures highlight a cooling labor environment where growth persists in select sectors amid broader economic challenges.
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