ADP National Employment Report Preliminary Estimate for February 21, 2026

Q: What did ADP (ADP) report for the week ending February 21, 2026 in the NER Pulse?

ADP reported a four-week moving average of 15,500 jobs per week for the period ending February 21, 2026. According to ADP, this preliminary NER Pulse shows employment gains holding steady after five weeks of strengthening and could be revised as new data arrives.

Q: When will ADP release the next NER Pulse after the February 21, 2026 estimate?

ADP will release the next NER Pulse on March 17, 2026 . According to ADP, the NER Pulse publishes weekly on Tuesdays at 8:15 a.m. ET, except when the monthly National Employment Report is published.

Q: How far back does the NER Pulse historical data go in the February 21, 2026 release?

The February 21, 2026 NER Pulse includes a 12-week historical series of estimates. According to ADP, the release provides 12 weeks of historical data so users can see recent trends in the four-week moving average.

Rhea-AI Impact

(Neutral)

Rhea-AI Sentiment

(Positive)

Rhea-AI Summary

ADP (NYSE:ADP) released the NER Pulse preliminary estimate for the four weeks ending February 21, 2026, showing U.S. private employers added an average of 15,500 jobs per week. Employment gains held steady after five weeks of strengthening; figures are preliminary and may change as new data is added.

The release includes a 12-week historical series and notes the next NER Pulse will be released March 17, 2026.

News Market Reaction – ADP

-2.54%

-2.54% Session close to close

In the Mar 10 session, ADP declined 2.54%, reflecting a moderate negative market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Market Context

This announcement provides a preliminary view that U.S. private employers added an average of 15,500...

Analysis

This announcement provides a preliminary view that U.S. private employers added an average of 15,500 jobs per week for the four weeks ending February 21, 2026, extending a multi‑week strengthening trend captured by the NER Pulse. Recent history shows similar employment updates and related labor reports generating modest stock reactions. Investors may track upcoming NER Pulse releases and ADP’s broader product developments, alongside previously reported revenue of $10,534.5 million and net earnings of $2,075.1 million, to contextualize these macro signals.

Key Figures

Weekly job gains: 15,500 jobs Weekly job gains: 15,500 jobs Weekly job gains: 12,000 jobs +5 more

8 metrics

Weekly job gains 15,500 jobs Four weeks ending Feb 21, 2026 (four-week average)

Weekly job gains 15,500 jobs Week ending Feb 14, 2026 (four-week average)

Weekly job gains 12,000 jobs Week ending Feb 7, 2026 (four-week average)

Weekly job gains 11,500 jobs Week ending Jan 31, 2026 (four-week average)

Weekly job gains 7,250 jobs Week ending Jan 24, 2026 (four-week average)

Weekly job gains 5,500 jobs Week ending Jan 17, 2026 (four-week average)

Weekly job gains 8,000 jobs Week ending Jan 3, 2026 (four-week average)

Weekly job gains 2,500 jobs Week ending Dec 6, 2025 (four-week average)

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Mar 04 (Neutral)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	24h Move	Catalyst
Mar 04	Employment report	Neutral	+0.4%	February NER showing 63,000 job gains and 4.5% pay growth.
Mar 02	Product launch	Positive	+0.3%	Launch of AI agents in ADP Marketplace to automate HR workflows.
Feb 24	Employment estimate	Neutral	-0.0%	NER Pulse four-week average of 12,750 jobs through Feb 7, 2026.
Feb 17	Employment estimate	Neutral	+0.5%	NER Pulse showing 10,250 average weekly jobs through Jan 31.
Feb 10	Employment estimate	Neutral	-0.5%	NER Pulse indicating 6,500 average weekly jobs through Jan 24.

24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.

Pattern Detected

Recent NER Pulse and employment-related releases have generally coincided with modest, mixed price reactions, suggesting these macro updates tend to be low-to-moderate catalysts for ADP shares.

Recent Company History

Over the past month, ADP has regularly released NER Pulse preliminary estimates and a full ADP National Employment Report, highlighting trends such as 63,000 February job gains and weekly averages like 12,750 and 10,250 jobs. Alongside these macro labor updates, ADP launched AI agents in ADP Marketplace to automate HR and payroll workflows. Price reactions to these items ranged between roughly half‑percent moves up or down, indicating measured market responses to similar news.

Key Terms

four-week moving average, seasonally adjusted, two-week lag

3 terms

four-week moving average technical

"The NER Pulse is an estimate of the week-over-week change in employment based on a four-week moving average."

A four-week moving average takes the most recent four weekly values of a data series (like price, sales, or trading volume), averages them, and updates that average each week by dropping the oldest week and adding the newest. It smooths out short-term ups and downs—like looking at a smoothed path instead of every single bump—so investors can more easily see underlying trends, spot momentum changes, and avoid reacting to temporary noise.

seasonally adjusted technical

"The data is seasonally adjusted and have a two-week lag to allow for more complete..."

Seasonally adjusted means that figures have been modified to remove the effects of regular and predictable changes that happen at specific times of the year, such as holidays or weather patterns. This adjustment helps reveal the true underlying trend by making comparisons across different periods more accurate. For investors, it provides a clearer picture of whether economic activity is genuinely improving or declining, without the noise of seasonal fluctuations.

two-week lag technical

"The data is seasonally adjusted and have a two-week lag to allow for more complete..."

A two-week lag is a fixed delay of about 14 days between when an action, event, or measurement occurs and when its effects are recorded, reported, or take effect. For investors it matters because that delay can make data appear out of date, slow reaction to market changes, and temporarily mask trends—like receiving a two-week-old weather report when you need current conditions to make a plan.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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03/10/2026 - 08:15 AM

ROSELAND, N.J., March 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- For the four weeks ending February 21, 2026, U.S. private employers added an average of 15,500 jobs per week, according to the NER Pulse, a weekly update of the monthly ADP National Employment Report (NER).

Employment gains held steady into late February after five straight weeks of strengthening. These numbers are preliminary and could change as new data is added.

Week ending	Change (Four-week moving average, seasonally adjusted)
2/21/2026	15,500
2/14/2026	15,500
2/7/2026	12,000
1/31/2026	11,500
1/24/2026	7,250
1/17/2026	5,500
1/10/2026	4,250
1/3/2026	8,000
12/27/2025	4,250
12/20/2025	8,000
12/13/2025	9,500
12/6/2025	2,500

The NER Pulse is an estimate of the week-over-week change in employment based on a four-week moving average. These estimates are based on ADP's finely tuned, high-frequency data. The data is seasonally adjusted and have a two-week lag to allow for more complete and accurate estimates of real-time employment trends.

The NER Pulse, including 12 weeks of historical data, publishes every Tuesday at 8:15 a.m. ET, except weeks when ADP Research publishes the monthly National Employment Report which is built on a reference week that includes the 12^th day of the month. The press release is available Tuesdays at 8:15 a.m. ET in the ADP Media Center. The NER Pulse is also available shortly after 8:15 a.m. ET on release days at ADP Research and in Main Street Macro.

The next NER Pulse will be released March 17, 2026. For upcoming release dates please refer to the calendar on the NER website.

The ADP National Employment Report and the NER Pulse are produced by ADP Research in collaboration with the Stanford Digital Economy Lab.

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.

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SOURCE ADP, Inc.

FAQ

What did ADP (ADP) report for the week ending February 21, 2026 in the NER Pulse?

ADP reported a four-week moving average of 15,500 jobs per week for the period ending February 21, 2026. According to ADP, this preliminary NER Pulse shows employment gains holding steady after five weeks of strengthening and could be revised as new data arrives.

How is the ADP NER Pulse calculated and what does the February 21, 2026 reading represent?

The NER Pulse uses a four-week moving average of ADP's high-frequency payroll data to estimate weekly job changes. According to ADP, the February 21, 2026 reading of 15,500 is the seasonally adjusted four-week average for private-sector job additions.

When will ADP release the next NER Pulse after the February 21, 2026 estimate?

ADP will release the next NER Pulse on March 17, 2026. According to ADP, the NER Pulse publishes weekly on Tuesdays at 8:15 a.m. ET, except when the monthly National Employment Report is published.

How far back does the NER Pulse historical data go in the February 21, 2026 release?

The February 21, 2026 NER Pulse includes a 12-week historical series of estimates. According to ADP, the release provides 12 weeks of historical data so users can see recent trends in the four-week moving average.

Are the ADP NER Pulse job estimates for February 21, 2026 final and can they change?

No, the NER Pulse estimates for February 21, 2026 are preliminary and may change as additional data is added. According to ADP, the figures have a two-week lag and are updated when more complete payroll information becomes available.