Private-sector employment in the US rose by 63K in February 2026—the strongest gain since July—following a downwardly revised 11K increase in January and beating market expectations of a 50K rise. Education and health services led all industries with a gain of 58K jobs, followed by construction (19K), information (11K), financial activities (2K), and natural resources and mining (2K). In contrast, professional and business services cut 30K positions, manufacturing shed 5K jobs, and trade, transportation, and utilities declined by 1K.
By firm size, small businesses generated 60K new jobs and large companies added 10K, while medium-sized firms reduced headcount by 7K. Annual pay growth for job stayers held steady at 4.5%. For job changers, wage growth eased to 6.3%.
“We’ve seen an increase in hiring, and pay gains remain solid, especially for job stayers. But with hiring concentrated in only a few sectors, our data show no broad-based pay benefit from changing jobs. In fact, the pay premium for switching employers hit a record low in February,” said Dr. Nela Richardson, Chief Economist at ADP.
