Private employers added just 54,000 jobs in August, indicating a slowdown in the hiring market, according to ADP data released Thursday morning.

ADP’s jobs figure is lower than the forecast made by The Wall Street Journal, which predicted 75,000 positions added last month.

“The year started with strong job growth, but that momentum has been whipsawed by uncertainty. A variety of things could explain the hiring slowdown, including labor shortages, skittish consumers, and AI disruptions,” ADP’s chief economist, Dr. Nela Richardson, said in a statement.

ADP's monthly report showed leisure and hospitality as well as construction performing well despite a wider slowdown in hiring in recent months.

Leisure and hospitality contributed the most by adding 50,000 jobs. Construction was in second

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