The ADP report for March showed private-sector employers added 155,000 jobs, well above February’s revised total of 84,000 and ahead of the Dow Jones consensus of 120,000.
This stronger-than-expected payroll gain arrives amid concerns that tariff policies under President Trump could slow hiring and broader economic activity. Job creation in March was broad-based. Professional and business services led with 57,000 new positions, financial activities contributed 38,000, manufacturing added 21,000, and leisure and hospitality increased by 17,000.
Service-sector employers were responsible for 132,000 of the new roles. Not every category expanded: trade, transportation and utilities declined by 6,000 jobs and natural resources and mining fell by 3,000.
On wages, the report showed year-over-year earnings growth of 4.6% for workers who stayed in the same job and 6.5% for those who changed jobs. The smaller gap between these two rates suggests worker mobility may be cooling compared with earlier periods.
This ADP release comes ahead of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ nonfarm payrolls report, for which economists expect roughly 140,000 new jobs in March. Together, these reports will help shape the outlook for the labor market and influence policy and market reactions in the weeks ahead.