Small business hiring rebounded in September, ADP says

NEW YORK – Small business hiring rebounded in September, with companies adding 56,000 jobs.

That’s the finding of a report from payroll company ADP, which counted the number of positions created by its small business customers, those with one to 49 employees. ADP’s customers had added 23,000 jobs in August, and 56,000 in July.

Small business hiring at ADP customers has been erratic as owners contend with a shrinking labour pool, the result of falling unemployment, and ongoing difficulty finding qualified staffers. Small businesses have added an average 46,000 jobs each month this year, down from 61,000 during 2017.

Surveys by banks and small business groups have shown small business owners to be generally optimistic, but also holding on to their cautious approach toward hiring and expansion that they developed during the Great Recession.