Private sector added 38K jobs in August as pay grew
The U.S. private sector added 38,000 jobs in August, with notable growth in service-providing sectors despite losses in tech and business services. ADP reported that wage growth remains steady, with job-changers seeing significantly higher pay increases than those who stayed in their roles.
Why it matters
This report provides a key indicator of U.S. labor market health and wage inflation trends, which are critical for economic policy and interest rate decisions.
Accounting Private sector added 38K jobs in August as pay grew By Michael Cohn CloseText About Michael twitter mikecohnat mailto michael.cohn@arizent.com linkedin micohn Published September 02, 2026, 11:28 a.m. EDT | Updated September 02, 2026, 1:08 p.m. EDT 1 Min Read Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email An ADP sign at the TechFair LA job fair in Los Angeles. Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg Private sector employers added 38,000 jobs in August, payroll giant ADP reported Wednesday. Base pay rose 3.2% and gross pay was up 4.7% year over year, according to the new ADP Pay Insights component of the report. Base pay for job-stayers rose 3.0% year-over-year, while base pay for job-changers increased 4.7%. Gross pay for job-stayers grew 4.4% year-over year; gross pay for job-changers increased 7.3%.
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