ADP National Employment Report Preliminary Estimate for May 23, 2026
Rhea-AI Summary
ADP (ADP) reported that for the four weeks ending May 23, 2026, U.S. private employers added an average of 29,000 jobs per week, based on the NER Pulse four-week moving average.
Employment growth eased for the third straight week. Data are seasonally adjusted, based on high-frequency ADP payroll information, and carry a two-week lag. The NER Pulse, with 12 weeks of historical data, is released Tuesdays at 8:15 a.m. ET, with the next update scheduled for June 16, 2026.
Positive
- None.
Negative
- None.
News Market Reaction – ADP
On the day this news was published, ADP gained 0.47%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 03 | Employment report | Positive | -1.5% | Monthly ADP report showed 122,000 new jobs and 4.4% pay growth. |
| May 27 | NER Pulse update | Neutral | -0.3% | Preliminary NER Pulse for May 9 showed 35,750 weekly job gains. |
| May 19 | NER Pulse update | Positive | -1.1% | Four weeks ending May 2 showed 42,250 weekly jobs, hiring strengthened. |
| May 12 | NER Pulse update | Neutral | +1.0% | Four weeks ending April 25 showed 33,000 weekly job additions. |
| May 07 | Investor conferences | Positive | +3.3% | Management announced presentations at two major May investor conferences. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Recent ADP employment-related releases often saw flat-to-negative price reactions even when underlying job growth data were positive.
Over the past months, ADP has regularly published NER Pulse and National Employment Report updates showing ongoing U.S. job creation, such as 122,000 private-sector jobs added in May and weekly averages like 42,250 and 35,750 jobs. Despite generally positive macro employment trends, ADP’s stock often reacted modestly or negatively, including moves of -1.48%, -1.12%, and -0.32%. A conference participation announcement on May 7 drew a stronger positive reaction of 3.33%, underscoring that investor focus has not centered solely on the employment data stream.
Key Terms
four-week moving average technical
seasonally adjusted technical
high-frequency data technical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Employment growth eased for the third consecutive week. These numbers are preliminary and could change as new data is added.
Week ending | Change (Four-week moving |
5/23/2026 | 29,000 |
5/16/2026 | 30,500 |
5/9/2026 | 35,750 |
5/2/2026 | 40,750 |
4/25/2026 | 33,000 |
4/18/2026 | 30,250 |
4/11/2026 | 39,250 |
4/4/2026 | 40,250 |
3/28/2026 | 40,250 |
3/21/2026 | 26,000 |
3/14/2026 | 15,250 |
3/7/2026 | 10,000 |
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 June 16, 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.
Copyright © 2026 ADP, Inc. All rights reserved.
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/adp-national-employment-report-preliminary-estimate-for-may-23-2026-302794563.html
SOURCE ADP, Inc.