Topline Employment in the private sector slowed to a “choppy” rate in July, according to data published Wednesday by the payroll processing firm ADP, after surveyors warned of a “slowdown” in new jobs across the labor market. Small businesses had boosted the private sector’s hiring rate in recent months. Getty ImagesKey FactsPrivate sector payrolls increased 44,000 in July, ADP reported, well below June’s revised-down 95,000 added jobs and consensus analyst projections of 75,000, according to FactSet. All added jobs came from service-providing industries, with 47,000 new roles, headlined by education and health services (36,000) and financial activities (10,000), while leisure and hospitality shed 11,000 jobs. Pay growth for workers who remained in their positions rose at 4.4%, whereas pay rose 7% for those who switched jobs, the highest year-over-year increase since August 2025, according to ADP.