Labor market moderately recovers, with US ADP weekly average job additions at 12,750, marking the fourth consecutive week of improvement.

The U.S. private sector employment market is showing signs of sustained improvement, but the overall growth rate remains moderate.

On February 24, ADP released the latest National Employment Report (NER) Pulse data, showing that in the four weeks ending February 7, 2026, U.S. private employers added an average of 12,750 jobs per week, marking the fourth consecutive week of improvement month-over-month.

Although the ongoing upward trend provides some support for the market, the current average weekly job gains remain at a relatively low level, falling significantly short of the late November 2025 peak of over 17,000 to 20,000 jobs per week.

ADP stated that this data is a preliminary estimate and relevant figures may be adjusted as new data is incorporated.

Four consecutive weeks of improvement, but growth rate remains far below last year's peak

Data shows that the employment growth rate has steadily climbed from the early January trough: for the week ending January 10, the four-week average was only 4,250; then it gradually rose to 5,500 on January 17, 7,250 on January 24, 11,500 on January 31, and reached 12,750 in the latest week ending February 7, recording four consecutive weeks of improvement month-over-month.

However, compared to the late November 2025 peak, the current level remains weak. At that time, for the four weeks ending November 22 and November 29, the averages were as high as 20,000 and 17,000 respectively; the current growth rate is less than two-thirds of these, suggesting the labor market's recovery process has not yet fully bridged the previous decline.

NER Pulse data uses a four-week moving average to measure weekly changes in private employment, is seasonally adjusted, and has a two-week data lag to enhance the accuracy of real-time trend estimates. The next NER Pulse data will be released on March 10, 2026.

Risk warning and disclaimerThe market contains risks, and investment should be approached with caution. This article does not constitute personal investment advice, nor does it take into account the specific investment objectives, financial situation, or needs of individual users. Users should consider whether any opinions, viewpoints, or conclusions contained in this article are suitable for their particular circumstances. Any investment based on this is at your own risk.