US private-sector job recovered at the end of 2025, with ADP reporting a 41k rise in employment in December, but missed expectations of 50k. Hiring remained uneven, with goods-producing jobs slipping -3k, while service-providing roles rose 44k.
By company size, small businesses 9k jobs after November losses, while medium-sized firms added 34k. Large employers contributed just 2k. As ADP Chief Economist Nela Richardson noted, small establishments recovered into year-end even as large firms pulled back.
Wage dynamics remained firm. Pay growth for job-stayers was unchanged at 4.4% year-on-year, while job-changers saw an acceleration to 6.6% from 6.3%.
