Data released Wednesday by ADP Research show that U.S. private-sector employment increased by 90,000 in September, the largest gain in three months and above market expectations, indicating that the labor market has regained momentum after a brief slowdown and further easing concerns about an economic cooldown.

Specifically, September added 90,000 jobs, far exceeding the downwardly revised 36,000 in August. On expectations, the median estimate of economists surveyed was 75,000, while the Dow Jones consensus forecast was 68,000, and the actual figure clearly beat both. The ADP report is based on payroll data covering more than 26 million U.S. private-sector employees and is seen as an important precursor to Friday's nonfarm payrolls report.

By industry structure, job growth was broad but uneven. Education and health services contributed the most, adding 55,000 positions, accounting for more than half of the overall increase. Leisure and hospitality added 22,000, manufacturing added 17,000, and construction added 15,000, all posting solid gains. The services sector as a whole added 59,000, while goods producers contributed 31,000, reflecting a relatively balanced structure.

However, some industries cut jobs. Financial activities shed 16,000 positions, professional and business services lost 11,000, and natural resources and mining declined by 1,000.

By region, the Northeast stood out, adding 56,000 jobs. By firm size, companies with 50 to 499 employees added 54,000, indicating relatively strong hiring willingness among mid-sized businesses.

On pay, the ADP report showed that total pay for job-changers rose 7.3% year over year, while pay for job-stayers increased 4.4%. Overall base pay rose 3.2% year over year, while total pay growth accelerated to 4.7%.

ADP chief economist Nela Richardson said in a statement: "This was a strong report. After three months of slowdown, job creation rebounded and wage growth remained solid."

The report further corroborates recent remarks by several Federal Reserve officials that, after the growth scare of 2025, the labor market is basically solid and moving toward balance. A stable job market, combined with resilient consumer spending, has allowed the Fed to focus its policy on fighting persistent inflation. The Fed raised its benchmark borrowing rate by 25 basis points earlier in September, its first increase since 2023. Since then, several policymakers have described the labor market as "solid and in balance" and believe the bigger policy risk now is sticky inflation rather than weak employment.

Market attention has now turned to Friday's government nonfarm payrolls report. That report includes public-sector hiring, and the Wall Street consensus expects 84,000 jobs added in September, down from 162,000 the previous month, with the unemployment rate expected to hold steady at 4.1%. Some institutions expect the government report to show about 90,000 jobs added, echoing the ADP data.

Overall, the September ADP report paints a picture of a stabilizing labor market: rebounding hiring, steady wages, and an uneven but generally healthy industry picture. Although financial and professional services shed jobs, strong growth in education and health, leisure and hospitality, and manufacturing was enough to offset the impact. The data help ease concerns about an economic stall and also support the Fed's tightening bias at a time when inflation remains sticky. As the nonfarm payrolls report approaches, the labor market's true resilience will face a further test.