Private payrolls dropped 32,000 positions last month in slowing job market

US private employers lost 32,000 positions in November, with job creation seemingly locked in a standstill, according to the private payroll processor ADP.

The firm’s revised data showed a gain of 47,000 jobs in October, coming off losses in September and August. Job creation has essentially been flat in the second half of this year, ADP said, and small businesses in particular appeared to struggle in November.

“Hiring has been choppy of late as employers weather cautious consumers and an uncertain macroeconomic environment,” ADP chief economist Nela Richardson said in a statement. “And while November’s slowdown was broad-based, it was led by a pullback among small businesses.”

Manufacturing and construction dropped positions, as did professional and business services. Jobs were added in education and health services.

The country will get an official look at November’s jobs data on Dec. 16 when the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its delayed “employment situation” report for the month. The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago currently estimates that November’s unemployment rate will be little-changed from October — a month for which there will never be an official unemployment rate due to the government shutdown — at 4.44%.

That also matches the government’s unemployment rate for September, with the labor market stuck in a state of low hiring. The Federal Reserve’s latest Beige Book, a summary of regional economic conditions across the country, suggested subdued labor demand, more hiring freezes, and even the possibility of AI replacing some entry-level positions.

Meanwhile, American workers feel terrible about the job market. Some 69% of consumers expect unemployment to rise in the year ahead, according to the University of Michigan’s survey of consumers.

Emma Ockerman is a reporter covering the economy and labor for Yahoo Finance. You can reach her at emma.ockerman@yahooinc.com.

Sign up for the Mind Your Money newsletter

Click here for the latest personal finance news to help you with investing, paying off debt, buying a home, retirement, and more

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance