U.S. private employers added an estimated 86,000 jobs in October, according to the ADP National Employment Report, matching September’s revised increase and exceeding economists’ expectations.
ADP revised its September estimate down to 86,000 jobs from the 90,000 initially reported. Economists surveyed by Reuters had expected an October increase of 69,000.
The report is produced by ADP Research with the Stanford Digital Economy Lab and is based on anonymized payroll records covering more than 26 million private-sector workers. It is an independent estimate rather than a count from the federal government.
The October result suggests private hiring remained positive at the start of the fourth quarter. The identical revised monthly totals also indicate that the pace was stable rather than accelerating sharply.
ADP’s measure should not be treated as a preview that will necessarily match the Labor Department’s employment report. The two reports use different sources and methods, and their estimates can diverge. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is scheduled to publish its broader October employment report on Friday.
Reuters reported that economists expect the government report to show private payrolls increased by 64,000 and total nonfarm payrolls rose by 65,000. Those figures are survey forecasts, not completed government estimates.
The ADP release is one of several labor-market indicators available before the federal jobs report. Job openings data released Tuesday showed 1.06 open positions for every unemployed person in September, up from 1.02 in August, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Sources: - Reuters, “U.S. Private Payrolls Rise in October, ADP Says,” Nov. 4, 2026. - The Wall Street Journal, “Private-Sector Hiring Remained Solid in October,” Nov. 4, 2026.