Base pay rose 3.2%; gross pay was up 4.7%

ROSELAND, N.J., Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Private-sector employment increased by 90,000 jobs in September, according to the ADP National Employment Report® produced by ADP Research in collaboration with the Stanford Digital Economy Lab (“Stanford Lab”).

Base pay for private-sector workers rose 3.2% and gross pay was up 4.7% year over year, according to ADP Pay Insights.

• Base pay for job-stayers rose 3.0% year-over-year; base pay for job-changers increased 4.8%.
• Gross pay for job-stayers rose 4.4% year-over year; gross pay for job-changers increased 7.3%.

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 the United States. ADP Pay Insights uses payroll transaction data to compare the wage growth of individual workers over 12-month intervals, resulting in more than 14.7 million year-over-year pay-change observations each month.

Together, these reports use ADP’s finely-grained data to provide a representative and high-frequency picture of the private-sector labor market.

“It’s a strong report,” said Dr. Nela Richardson, chief economist, ADP. “After a three-month slowdown, job creation rebounded and pay growth remained solid.”

September 2026 Report Highlights

View the ADP National Employment Report and interactive charts at www.adpemploymentreport.com.

EMPLOYMENT REPORT

Private employers added 90,000 jobs in September
Hiring accelerated for the first time since May, led by education and health care and leisure and hospitality. Financial activities and professional and business services showed weakness.

Change in U.S. Private Employment:     90,000

Change by Sector

– Goods-producing:     31,000

• Natural resources and mining     -1,000
• Construction     15,000
• Manufacturing     17,000

– Service-providing:    59,000

• Trade, transportation, and utilities     0
• Information     3,000
• Financial activities     -16,000
• Professional and business services     -11,000
• Education and health services     55,000
• Leisure and hospitality     22,000
• Other services     6,000

Change by U.S. Regions

– Northeast:      56,000

• New England     9,000
• Mid-Atlantic     47,000

– Midwest:     5,000

• East North Central     -10,000
• West North Central     15,000

– South:     11,000

• South Atlantic     -10,000
• East South Central     -1,000
• West South Central     22,000

– West:      17,000

• Mountain     18,000
• Pacific     -1,000

Change by Establishment Size

– Small establishments:      23,000

• 1-19 employees     18,000
• 20-49 employees     5,000

– Medium establishments:     54,000

• 50-249 employees     18,000
• 250-499 employees     36,000

– Large establishments:     14,000

• 500+ employees     14,000

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 and an interactive data platform.

Base pay growth was little changed in September
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     3.2%
• Job-stayers     3.0%
• Job-changers     4.8%

Median Change in Gross Pay

• All workers     4.7%
• Job-stayers     4.4%
• Job-changers     7.3%

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     3.1%
• 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 U.S. Metro, Gender, Age, and Pay Quartile, please visit https://payinsights.adp.com/

The August total number of jobs added was revised from 38,000 to 36,000.

Beginning with this month’s release, the National Employment Report incorporates first-quarter Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) data issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on August 28, 2026.

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 October 2026 ADP National Employment Report will be released on November 4, 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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