By Matt Grossman
Private companies grew their payrolls slightly on net through much of November, human-resources firm ADP said Tuesday.
Over the four weeks through Nov. 22, private employment rose at an average pace of 4,750 jobs per week, according to ADP's latest weekly data. The estimate, part of a volatile weekly data series, follows a month-end November report from ADP last week that estimated the private sector lost 32,000 jobs in total last month.
The figures suggest a choppy hiring environment as economists await official figures that have been delayed by the government shutdown earlier this fall. The latest formal data available show that the economy added a better-than-expected 119,000 jobs in September, although the unemployment rate ticked slightly higher to 4.4%.
A catch-up report on job creation in October and November is due next Tuesday.
The vacuum of official data has made it harder than usual for economists to discern the underlying trend in a labor market that has weakened this year. Hiring has slowed, a shift analysts blame both on cooling demand and a smaller pool of workers available amid the White House's immigration crackdown. Some economists worry that beyond a tipping point, the labor market could spiral toward further weakness if job losses drain consumer spending.
On the other hand, estimates of underlying economic growth have held up well, and unemployment is still modest by historical standards. Rate cuts from the Federal Reserve, which is widely expected to ease policy again on Wednesday, could also help cushion labor-market roughness if they work as intended.
Write to Matt Grossman at matt.grossman@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
12-09-25 0843ET
