US Private Sector Hiring Hits 2026 Low in July, Missing Forecasts

According to a report from ADP published on Wednesday, private sector job growth in the U.S. was limited to just 44,000 positions in July, marking the slowest monthly increase of 2026. This figure represents a decline from June's adjusted rise of 95,000 jobs and falls short of economists' expectations of 75,000. Small businesses experienced a greater impact from this slowdown compared to larger companies, while the services sector continued to lead in job creation, albeit at a slower rate, and goods-producing sectors saw minimal growth. Year-over-year pay growth held steady at 4.8%. This disappointing hiring data may affect the Federal Reserve's monetary policy, reflecting a slowdown from the first half of the year, which averaged over 100,000 jobs monthly.