US private sector adds just 62,000 jobs in April

(Sharecast News) - US companies eased up on hiring in April as they tried to prepare themselves for impacts stemming from Donald Trump's so-called "Liberation Day" tariffs, according to ADP. Private sector payrolls rose by 62,000 for the month, the smallest gain since July 2024 and down from 147,000 in March. Consensus estimates had been for an increase of 120,000.

The leisure and hospitality sector added 27,000 jobs, while trade, transportation and utilities added 21,000 new roles, and financial activities and construction added 20,000 and 16,000, respectively.

Going the other way, education and health services lost 23,000 jobs, while information services shed 8,000 workers.

Wage gains also headed south, rising 4.5% year-on-year, down 0.1 percentage point month-on-month.

"Unease is the word of the day. Employers are trying to reconcile policy and consumer uncertainty with a run of mostly positive economic data," said Nela Richardson, ADP chief economist. "It can be difficult to make hiring decisions in such an environment."



Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com