ADP National Employment Report: Private Sector Employment Increased by 41,000 Jobs in December; Annual Pay was Up 4.4%

ROSELAND, N.J., Jan. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Private sector employment increased by 41,000 jobs in December and pay was up 4.4 percent year-over-year according to the December ADP National Employment Report® produced by ADP Research in collaboration with the Stanford Digital Economy Lab ("Stanford Lab").  

The ADP National Employment Report is an independent measure of the labor market based on the anonymized weekly payroll data of more than 26 million private-sector employees in the United States. ADP's Pay Insights captures over 15 million individual pay change observations each month. Together, the jobs report and pay insights use ADP's fine-grained data to provide a representative and high-frequency picture of the private-sector labor market.

"Small establishments recovered from November job losses with positive end-of-year hiring, even as large employers pulled back," said Dr. Nela Richardson, chief economist, ADP.

December 2025 Report Highlights

View the ADP National Employment Report and interactive charts at www.adpemploymentreport.com.

JOBS REPORT

Private employers added 41,000 jobs in December

December brought a rebound in hiring, led by education and health services, and leisure and hospitality.

Change in U.S. Private Employment:     41,000

Change by Industry

- Goods-producing:     -3,000

• Natural resources/mining     1,000
• Construction     1,000
• Manufacturing     -5,000

- Service-providing:     44,000

• Trade/transportation/utilities     11,000
• Information     -12,000
• Financial activities     6,000
• Professional/business services     -29,000
• Education/health services     39,000
• Leisure/hospitality     24,000
• Other services     5,000

Change by U.S. Regions

- Northeast:     40,000

• New England     -11,000
• Mid-Atlantic     51,000

- Midwest:     9,000

• East North Central     9,000
• West North Central     0

- South:     54,000

• South Atlantic     29,000
• East South Central     9,000
• West South Central     16,000

- West:     -61,000

• Mountain     -2,000
• Pacific     -59,000

Change by Establishment Size

- Small establishments:     9,000

• 1-19 employees     4,000
• 20-49 employees     5,000

- Medium establishments:     34,000

• 50-249 employees     29,000
• 250-499 employees     5,000

- Large establishments:     2,000

• 500+ employees     2,000

PAY INSIGHTS

Job-stayer pay growth was unchanged in December

Year-over-year pay for job-stayers rose 4.4 percent in December, unchanged from November. For job-changers, the pace of pay growth accelerated to 6.6 percent from 6.3 percent.

Median Change in Annual Pay

- Job-stayers     4.4%

- Job-changers     6.6%

Median Change in Annual Pay for Job-Stayers by Industry

- Goods-producing:                                                    

• Natural resources/mining     4.3%
• Construction     4.2%
• Manufacturing     4.8%

- Service-providing:                                               

• Trade/transportation/utilities     4.2%
• Information     4.1%
• Financial activities     5.2%
• Professional/business services     4.1%
• Education/health services     4.3%
• Leisure/hospitality     4.5%
• Other services     4.0%

Median Change in Annual Pay for Job-Stayers by Firm Size

- Small firms:                                                                

• 1-19 employees     2.3%
• 20-49 employees     3.9%

- Medium firms:                                                             

• 50-249 employees     4.6%
• 250-499 employees     4.7%

- Large firms:                                                                

• 500+ employees     4.8%

To see Pay Insights by U.S. State, Gender, and Age for Job-Stayers, visit here:

The November total number of jobs added was revised from -32,000 to -29,000.

For additional information about the ADP National Employment Report, including historical files, employment and pay data, methodology, and a calendar of release dates, please visit https://adpemploymentreport.com/.    

The January 2026 ADP National Employment Report will be released on February 4, 2026 at 8:15 a.m. ET.

About ADP Research 

The mission of ADP Research is to make the future of work more productive through data-driven discovery. Companies, workers, and policy makers rely on our finely tuned data and unique perspective to make informed decisions that impact workplaces around the world.

To subscribe to monthly email alerts or obtain additional information about ADP Research, including employment and pay data, methodology, and a calendar of release dates, please visit https://www.adpresearch.com.    

About ADP (NASDAQ: ADP)

ADP has been shaping the world of work with innovation and expertise for more than 75 years. As a global leader in HR and payroll solutions, ADP continuously works to solve business challenges for our clients and their workers, from simple, easy-to-use tools for small businesses to fully integrated platforms for global enterprises – and everything in between. Always Designing for People means we're focused on just that – people. We use our unmatched AI-driven insights and proven expertise to design innovative solutions that help people achieve greater success at work. More than 1.1 million clients across 140+ countries rely on ADP's exceptional service to support their people and drive their business forward. HR, Talent, Time Management, Benefits, Compliance, and Payroll. Learn more at ADP.com

ADP, the ADP logo, and Always Designing for People, ADP National Employment Report, and ADP Research are registered trademarks of ADP, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

Copyright © 2026 ADP, Inc. All rights reserved.

ADP-Media

SOURCE ADP, Inc.