The U.S. private sector added 42,000 jobs in October, marking a return to job growth after months of losses, according to alternative labour market data released by the Society for Human Resource Management.
The analysis comes as the Bureau of Labor Statistics enters its second month without publishing its monthly jobs report due to the U.S. government shutdown. SHRM compiled data from ADP and Lightcast to provide employers with workforce insights during the federal data blackout.
Large employers drive growth
The October job gains were concentrated among large organizations, SHRM found. Companies with 250 or more employees added approximately 77,000 positions during the month.
Small businesses lost about 35,000 jobs over the same period, according to the ADP National Employment Report.
Healthcare openings remain strong
Job openings for healthcare practitioners and technical roles stood at 96 per cent of their 2022 average, SHRM reported. The organization used 2022 figures as a baseline for comparison.
Openings for computer and mathematical occupations dropped to 43.9 per cent of 2022 levels, representing the sharpest decline among tracked occupation categories.
Federal shutdown creates data gap
The BLS jobs report, typically released on the first Friday of each month, provides detailed employment statistics used by employers, policymakers and economists to assess labour market conditions. November marks the second consecutive month the report has not been published.
SHRM released its analysis to help HR professionals and business leaders make workforce planning decisions without access to the federal data.
The organization has nearly 340,000 members in 180 countries.
