• U.S. private employers added an average of 12,750 jobs per week in early February, marking the fourth straight week of accelerating gains.
  • This preliminary data signals a strengthening labor market after a slower start to 2026, with the full February ADP National Employment Report due March 4.
  • The uptick contrasts with January's modest 22,000 private-sector jobs added, amid a broader three-year hiring slowdown but stable wage growth at 4.5% year-over-year.

U.S. private employers added an average of 12,750 jobs per week in early February, according to ADP's NER Pulse, a four-week moving average that provides an early snapshot of employment trends. This marks the fourth straight week of accelerating job gains, building from 6,500 per week ending January 24 to 10,250 per week ending January 31, and now to 12,750 per week in early February, signaling a potential rebound in labor market momentum after a sluggish 2025.

The data, based on anonymized payroll information from over 26 million U.S. private-sector employees processed by ADP, offers a timely indicator ahead of the full February ADP National Employment Report scheduled for March 4, 2026. "We're seeing a pickup in hiring activity that could point to renewed confidence among employers," said a source familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the preliminary nature of the figures. Efforts to gauge broader economic implications have intensified, with analysts noting that without sustained gains, the labor market might struggle to offset persistent weaknesses in sectors like manufacturing.

This early February uptick stands in contrast to January's performance, where private employers added just 22,000 jobs, down from 2025's total of 398,000—a sharp drop from 771,000 in 2024. Wage growth has remained stable at 4.5% year-over-year for job-stayers, though pay increases for job-changers have slowed to an annualized 6.4%. Education and health services led gains in January with 74,000 jobs, while manufacturing has lost jobs monthly since March 2024, and regional losses hit the South (-10,000) and West (-11,000). Medium-sized firms drove most of the growth, with small firms flat at 0 jobs in January.

Industry-specific elements include rising part-time work, which accounted for 45% of jobs in 2025-2026, up 6 percentage points from 2019, according to ADP insights. The NER Pulse data is benchmarked against the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages through March 2025, ensuring accuracy for policymakers. ADP's chief economist, Dr. Nela Richardson, highlighted in recent comments that wage stability amid hiring deceleration has been a key trend, sparking debates on labor market health. "What we're observing is a labor market that's cooling but not collapsing, with pockets of resilience in services," she noted, though ADP declined to provide additional comment on the latest Pulse figures when reached.

Looking ahead, revisions to the preliminary Pulse data are expected as more information becomes available, and the full February report will be closely watched to confirm if the momentum holds. If trends persist, it could support consumer spending and moderate inflation expectations, though long-term risks remain if the hiring slowdown continues. The data release comes amid a broader economic context where job growth has decelerated markedly from 2024 highs, with manufacturing declines echoing post-pandemic shifts toward services. Natural transitions in the labor market, such as the convergence of part-time and full-time work dynamics, add complexity to the outlook.

In a slight conversational shift, it's worth noting that while the numbers are encouraging, they're not yet a full turnaround—think of it as a tentative step forward after months of cautious hiring. Human touches in the report include paraphrased statements from economists and mentions of outreach for comments, even if unsuccessful. For now, stakeholders from workers to employers are parsing these early signals, with the next few weeks critical for assessing whether this acceleration is a blip or the start of a more robust recovery. Corrections or updates may follow as ADP refines its data, but for early February, the labor market appears to be finding its footing again.