US Private Sector Added 90,000 Jobs in September as Hiring Accelerated for First Time Since May

The US private sector added 90,000 jobs in September, well above the consensus estimate of 38,000 and higher than the revised August figure of 36,000, according to ADP's monthly employment report. Hiring accelerated for the first time since May, with education and health services leading all sectors at 55,000 new positions, followed by leisure and hospitality at 22,000. Median base pay rose 3.2% year over year.

Separately, the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge came in cooler than expected, with core PCE rising 0.2% month over month in August. Together, the stronger jobs data and softer inflation reading present a mixed but broadly constructive picture for the US economy, reflecting resilient labor demand alongside easing price pressures.