For the four weeks ending Nov. 22, 2025, private employers added an average of 4,750 jobs a week. This week’s positive number hints at an upswing in the labor market after four straight weeks of negative pulse estimates. These numbers are preliminary and could change as new data is added. Small businesses are called the engine of U.S. growth for a reason. Historically, they’ve created nearly two-thirds of new jobs in the United States. Even after the pandemic downturn, small employers led the way on hiring, accounting for more than 52 percent of job gains between 2021 and 2024. And the smallest of employers, those ... (full story)