September US ADP employment lower than forecast

Private sector employment increased by 154,000 jobs from August to September according to the September ADP National Employment Report.

Payrolls for businesses with 49 or fewer employees increased by 34,000 jobs in September, down from 68,000 in August. Employment at companies with 50-499 employees increased by 56,000 jobs, up from last month's 40,000. Employment at large companies - those with 500 or more employees - increased by 64,000, down from 67,000 in the prior month. Companies with 500-999 employees added 8,000 and companies with more than 1,000 employees added 56,000 in September.

Goods-producing employment was up by 3,000 jobs in September, following August losses of 9,000. The construction industry added 11,000 jobs, following August losses of 2,000 jobs. Meanwhile, manufacturing jobs were down 6,000 in September, after losing 4,000 in the previous month. Service-providing employment rose by 151,000 jobs in September. The ADP National Employment Report indicates that professional/business services contributed 45,000 jobs, down from 53,000 in August. Trade/transportation/utilities increased by 15,000 jobs in September, down from 26,000 jobs added the previous month. Financial activities added 11,000 jobs, down from last month's gain of 15,000 jobs.

"Job gains in September eased a bit when compared to the past 12-month average," said Ahu Yildirmaz, vice president and head of the ADP Research Institute. "We also observed softening this month in trade/transportation/utilities, possibly due to a continued tightening U.S. labor market and lackluster consumer spending.