Private payrolls increased by 192,000 in April, more than expected for resilient labor market

Private payrolls increased at a faster-than-expected pace in April, indicating there are still plenty of tail winds for the U.S. labor market, according to ADP.

A separate report indicated that job openings continue on the decline, falling to their lowest level since early 2021.

The payrolls processing firm reported Wednesday that companies added 192,000 workers for the month, better than the Dow Jones consensus outlook for 183,000 though a slight step down from the upwardly revised 208,000 in March.

At the same time, the firm's wage measure showed worker pay up 5% from a year ago, a multiyear low that provided some welcome news against multiple other signs showing inflation has proved more resilient than many economists and policymakers had expected.

"Hiring was broad-based in April," ADP's chief economist, Nela Richardson, said. "Only the information sector – telecommunications, media, and information technology – showed weakness, posting job losses and the smallest pace of pay gains since August 2021."

Job gains were strongest in leisure and hospitality, which posted an increase of 56,000. Other industries showing gains included construction (35,000) and sectors covering trade, transportation and utilities as well as education and health services, both of which saw increases of 26,000.

Professional and business services contributed 22,000 to the total while financial activities added 16,000.

Companies with 500 or more workers showed the biggest gain in hiring with 98,000.

Separately Wednesday, the Labor Department reported that job openings declined again in March, falling to a seasonally adjusted 8.49 million, the lowest level since February 2021.

The Jobs Openings and Labor Turnover Survey showed postings fell by more than