ADP National Employment Report Preliminary Estimate for March 21, 2026
Rhea-AI Summary
ADP (ADP) reports that for the four weeks ending March 21, 2026, U.S. private employers added an average of 26,000 jobs per week per the NER Pulse. It was the third straight week of improvement in hiring. These are preliminary, seasonally adjusted estimates with a two-week data lag.
The NER Pulse uses a four-week moving average and publishes weekly on Tuesdays at 8:15 a.m. ET; the next release is April 14, 2026. Data are produced by ADP Research with the Stanford Digital Economy Lab.
Positive
- Four-week average rose to 26,000 jobs for week ending 3/21/2026
- Third consecutive week of hiring improvement in the NER Pulse series
Negative
- Data are preliminary and could change as new information is added
- NER Pulse uses a two-week lag, delaying real-time visibility into hiring trends
News Market Reaction – ADP
In the Apr 7 session, ADP declined 0.36%, reflecting a mild negative market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 01 | Employment report | Positive | -0.9% | March private employment rose 62,000 with 4.5% annual pay gains. |
| Mar 25 | Workforce survey | Negative | -1.4% | Global survey showed only 22% strongly confident their job is safe. |
| Mar 25 | Earnings scheduling | Neutral | -1.4% | Company set Apr 29 date for Q3 fiscal 2026 financial results release. |
| Mar 24 | NER Pulse update | Positive | -2.3% | Preliminary estimate showed 10,000 jobs per week added in early March. |
| Mar 17 | NER Pulse update | Neutral | +0.3% | Estimate showed 9,000 jobs per week with weakening versus prior weeks. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Recent ADP macro and research releases often coincided with flat-to-negative price reactions, even when employment metrics improved.
Over the last few weeks, ADP has regularly published labor-market and research updates. The Feb 28 and Mar 7 NER Pulse estimates showed private employers adding 9,000 and 10,000 jobs per week, with hiring weakening around late February. The early April National Employment Report highlighted a 62,000 job March increase and 4.5% annual pay growth. Sentiment-focused research from a 39,000-worker survey and an upcoming Apr 29 earnings date rounded out news flow. Today’s stronger 26,000-job preliminary estimate extends this labor-series narrative.
Key Terms
four-week moving average technical
seasonally adjusted technical
high-frequency data technical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
It was the third straight week of improvement in hiring. These numbers are preliminary and could change as new data is added.
Week ending | Change |
3/21/2026 | 26,000 |
3/14/2026 | 15,250 |
3/7/2026 | 10,000 |
2/28/2026 | 9,000 |
2/21/2026 | 14,750 |
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 |
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 12th 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 April 14, 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.