The ADP employment report, dubbed the "mini-nonfarm payrolls," showed weaker-than-expected employment figures, indicating a continued slowdown in the US labor market.

U.S. businesses added fewer jobs than expected in January, indicating a continued slowdown in the labor market at the start of the year. ADP Research data released Wednesday showed that private sector employment increased by only 22,000 jobs in January, below market expectations, and the previous month's figure was revised downward. Due to the partial federal government shutdown, the release of official data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics was delayed, making the ADP data likely the most complete reference for the January labor market this week. Despite some signs of stabilization in recent months, the lower-than-expected increase in private sector employment suggests that the labor market continued to cool in January. ADP data showed that education and healthcare services led hiring growth, while professional/business services saw its largest job decline since June of last year. (Jinshi)