US Firms Add 62,000 Jobs, Smallest Gain Since July in ADP Data

Hiring at US companies moderated in April to the slowest pace in nine months, indicating waning demand for workers amid economic uncertainty.

Private-sector payrolls increased by 62,000 this month, according to ADP Research, below all estimates in a Bloomberg survey of forecasters. The education and health services, information and professional and business services sectors all registered outright declines in headcount.

Wednesday’s figures, alongside other recent data, paint a mixed picture of the labor market. While the ADP data shows a pullback in hiring, filings for unemployment benefits remain near pre-pandemic averages, indicating layoffs are still subdued.

“Unease is the word ...