ADP: Job Growth Slows Amid Concerns About Uncertain Economic Outlook

Core Insights - Private sector job growth slowed significantly in February, with only 77,000 jobs added, down from 186,000 in January, marking the lowest level of gains since July [1][2] - Concerns about policy uncertainty and a slowdown in consumer spending are contributing to hiring hesitancy among employers [2] - The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) will release its Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary (JOLTS) for January on March 11 [2] Job Openings and Labor Market Conditions - The BLS reported a decrease of 556,000 job openings in December, bringing the total to 7.6 million, down from 8.2 million at the end of November [3] - Consumer confidence has declined, affecting perceptions of current labor market conditions [3] Sector Performance - Among the 10 industry sectors tracked by ADP, six sectors experienced job gains in February, including leisure/hospitality (41,000), professional/business services (27,000), construction (26,000), financial activities (26,000), manufacturing (18,000), and other services (17,000) [4] - The four sectors that saw job losses included trade/transportation/utilities (33,000), education/health services (28,000), information (14,000), and natural resources/mining (2,000) [5] Establishment Size Impact - Small businesses (1-49 employees) lost a total of 12,000 jobs, while medium establishments (50-499 employees) added 46,000 jobs, and large establishments (500 or more employees) added 37,000 jobs [5] Wage Growth - Pay gains remained relatively unchanged in February, with job-changers experiencing a slight decrease in year-over-year pay gains from 6.8% in January to 6.7% in February, while job-stayers maintained a flat rate of 4.7% [6]