ADP National Employment Report: Private-Sector Employment Increased by 86,000 Jobs in October
Small, medium and large establishments all added jobs in October.
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ADP (NASDAQ: ADP) reported that U.S. private-sector employment increased by 86,000 jobs in October in its National Employment Report. September's gain was revised from 90,000 to 86,000, leaving October's increase equal to the revised prior month.
Service-providing employers added 82,000 jobs, while goods-producing employers added 4,000. Trade, transportation, and utilities gained 39,000 jobs; education and health services added 28,000. Professional and business services lost 27,000 jobs, its third consecutive monthly decline. Natural resources and mining lost 8,000 jobs, while manufacturing lost 1,000.
Median base pay rose 3.2% year over year, and median gross pay increased 4.7%. Job-stayers recorded base-pay growth of 3.0% and gross-pay growth of 4.4%, compared with 4.8% and 7.6%, respectively, for job-changers.
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Base pay rose
Base pay for private-sector workers rose
The ADP National Employment Report is an independent measure of the labor market based on the anonymized weekly payroll data of more than 26 million private-sector employees in
Together, these reports use ADP's finely-grained data to provide a representative and high-frequency picture of the private-sector labor market.
"Employers of all sizes were hiring last month, and our data suggests that job-changers were lured by a combination of bonuses, overtime, and more hours in addition to higher base pay," said Dr. Nela Richardson, chief economist, ADP. "Taken together, earnings growth for these workers hit its fastest pace since March 2024."
October 2026 Report Highlights
View the ADP National Employment Report and interactive charts at www.adpemploymentreport.com.
EMPLOYMENT REPORT
Private employers added 86,000 jobs in October
Hiring showed solid growth for a second month and pay gains were steady. There were weak spots; professional and business services lost jobs for the third straight month.
Change in
Change by Sector
- Goods-producing: 4,000
- Natural resources and mining -8,000
- Construction 13,000
- Manufacturing -1,000
- Service-providing: 82,000
- Trade, transportation, and utilities 39,000
- Information -2,000
- Financial activities 15,000
- Professional and business services -27,000
- Education and health services 28,000
- Leisure and hospitality 19,000
- Other services 10,000
Change by
- Northeast: 3,000
- New England -3,000
- Mid-Atlantic 6,000
- Midwest: 9,000
- East North Central -2,000
- West North Central 11,000
- South: 47,000
- South Atlantic 15,000
- East South Central -3,000
- West South Central 35,000
- West: 28,000
- Mountain 1,000
- Pacific 27,000
Change by Establishment Size
- Small establishments: 28,000
- 1-19 employees 21,000
- 20-49 employees 7,000
- Medium establishments: 33,000
- 50-249 employees 22,000
- 250-499 employees 11,000
- Large establishments: 24,000
- 500+ employees 24,000
PAY INSIGHTS
ADP Pay Insights provides base pay growth and gross pay growth data across worker mobility, demographics, sector, employer size, pay quartile, and 56 U.S. metropolitan areas. The report also now offers pay growth distribution.
Base pay growth was little changed in October
Pay rose 3.0 percent for job-stayers year over year, and 4.8 percent for job-changers.
Visit our interactive platform for more information.
Median Change in Base Pay
- All workers
- Job-stayers
- Job-changers
Median Change in Gross Pay
- All workers
- Job-stayers
- Job-changers
Median Change in Base Pay by Sector
- Goods-producing:
- Natural resources and mining
3.3% - Construction
4.0% - Manufacturing
3.5%
- Service-providing:
- Trade, transportation, and utilities
3.4% - Information
3.0% - Financial activities
3.5% - Professional and business services
3.2% - Education and health services
3.0% - Leisure and hospitality
3.0% - Other services
3.0%
Median Change in Base Pay by Firm Size
- Medium firms:
- 50-249 employees
3.5% - 250-499 employees
3.3%
- Large firms:
- 500+ employees
3.2%
To see Pay Insights by
The September total number of jobs added was revised from 90,000 to 86,000.
For additional information about the ADP National Employment Report, including historical files, employment and pay data, methodology, and a calendar of release dates, please visit https://adpemploymentreport.com/.
The November 2026 ADP National Employment Report will be released on December 2, 2026 at 8:15 a.m. ET.
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.
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SOURCE ADP, Inc.
FAQ
AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
How many private-sector jobs did ADP report for October 2026?
U.S. private-sector employers added 86,000 jobs in October. September's increase was revised from 90,000 to 86,000, so October's gain matched the revised September figure.
What did ADP report about pay growth in October 2026?
Median base pay increased 3.2% year over year, while median gross pay rose 4.7%. For job-changers, base pay increased 4.8% and gross pay rose 7.6%; job-stayers recorded increases of 3.0% and 4.4%, respectively.
What data underlies the ADP National Employment Report and Pay Insights?
The employment report uses anonymized weekly payroll data covering more than 26 million U.S. private-sector employees. Pay Insights compares individual workers' wages over 12-month intervals, producing more than 14.7 million year-over-year pay-change observations each month. ADP Research produces the employment report in collaboration with the Stanford Digital Economy Lab.