US Companies Added 41,000 Jobs in December, ADP Says (3)

Hiring at US companies rose in December at a moderate pace, pointing to sluggish momentum heading into 2026.

Private-sector payrolls increased by 41,000, according to ADP Research data released Wednesday, after declining in November. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for a 50,000 gain.

The report adds to evidence of a gradually cooling, but not rapidly deteriorating, labor market. Hiring has been tepid recently and unemployment has risen, which is weighing on not only economists’ forecasts heading into the new year, but also Americans’ own views of their employment prospects.

Gains were ...