U.S. private payrolls decline in September

WASHINGTON — U.S. private payrolls dropped in September, the ADP employment report showed on Wednesday.

Private employment decreased by 32,000 jobs last month after a downwardly revised 3,000 decline in August, the ADP National Employment Report showed on Wednesday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast private employment increasing 50,000 following a previously reported 54,000 advance in August.

The ADP report, jointly developed with the Stanford Digital Economy Lab, could garner more attention from investors seeking fresh clues on the labor market as the Labor Department’s more comprehensive and closely followed employment report for September will not be published on Friday.

The U.S. government shut down at midnight on Tuesday after funding lapsed.

“The suspension of economic statistical releases will make it harder to track the state of the economy during the shutdown,” said Bill Adams, chief economist at Comerica Bank.

“That may cause financial markets to react more than usual to private data releases, like ADP and Ward’s tally of car and light truck sales.”

The 15th government shutdown since 1981 delayed the release of the construction spending report for August that had been due on Wednesday. The weekly jobless claims report on Thursday will also not be published.

The Labor and Commerce departments said on Monday all data releases would be suspended during a shutdown. Government data on Tuesday showed a lethargic labor market, with job openings rising moderately in August and hiring subdued.

Economists expect that labor market stagnation will spur the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates again in October. The U.S. central bank resumed easing policy last month, cutting its benchmark overnight interest rate by 25 basis points to the 4.00%-4.25% range, to aid the labor market.