2025-12-23 13:21:00
- ADP Pulse for the week ending December 6 comes in at 11.5K vs a revised 17.5K last week
- For the four weeks ending Nov. 29, 2025, private employers added an average of 17.5K jobs a week. This continued strengthening during the second half of November signals a rebound in hiring after four weeks of job losses. These numbers are preliminary and could change as new data is added.
What is the ADP NER Pulse?
ADP recently introduced a major evolution to its labor market tracking: the ADP NER Pulse. This new high-frequency data series was launched on October 28, 2024, to provide a more real-time look at the labor market than the traditional monthly report.
Here is the breakdown of how the 4-week average works and why it matters for your post today.
What is the ADP “Pulse” Data?
Unlike the standard monthly report, which captures a single “reference week” (the week of the 12th), the NER Pulse is a weekly estimate of private-sector employment changes.
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The 4-Week Moving Average: To reduce the “noise” and volatility inherent in weekly payroll shifts, ADP reports the data as a 4-week moving average. This means the number you see today represents the average weekly job gain or loss over the last month.
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The Lag: There is a two-week lag in the reporting. This allows ADP to collect and process complete payroll data from their 26+ million tracked employees to ensure the “pulse” is accurate.
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Frequency: It is released every Tuesday at 8:15 a.m. ET, except for the week when the final monthly National Employment Report (NER) is published.
Why the Switch to Weekly?
The Fed and economists have recently criticized monthly data for being a “lagging indicator.” ADP’s shift aims to solve several problems:
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Spotting Turning Points: Monthly data can miss sudden economic shifts (like those caused by strikes, weather, or rapid cooling). Weekly data helps identify if a dip is a “bump in the road” or a new trend.
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Smoothing Volatility: By using the 4-week average, ADP mirrors the methodology used for “Initial Jobless Claims,” making it easier to compare hiring (ADP) vs. firing (Labor Dept).
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Data Quality: Because it uses actual administrative payroll records rather than surveys, it provides a “hard data” alternative to the BLS’s sometimes volatile survey results.
Why today is important?
Today’s release is particularly important because it follows a period of “choppy” hiring.
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Previous Trend: The data released on December 16 showed a gain of 17,50 jobs per week (4-week average), which signaled a potential rebound after a rough October/November.
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The data today shows a slowing of that hiring but still positive.
