April 30 (UPI) — Private payroll company ADP reported Wednesday that just 62,000 private sector U.S. jobs were added in April as employers significantly slowed hiring in the wake of Trump administration tariffs.

The job creation was much lower than the 120,000 Dow Jones economists expected.

“Unease is the word of the day. Employers are trying to reconcile policy and consumer uncertainty with a run of mostly positive economic data. It can be difficult to make hiring decisions in such an environment,” ADP chief economist Nela Richardson said in a statement.

ADP found that education and health services, information and professional and business services all lost jobs.

The Midwest had the highest job creation at 42,000 jobs, according to ADP. The South added the fewest at 3,000 jobs.

The weak private sector jobs report Wednesday came as the government reported GDP dropped by 0.3% in the 2025 first quarter.

ADP found that annual pay increased 4.5% in April year-over-year.

The private sector jobs gain was the smallest since July 2024.

Leisure and hospitality added the most jobs at 27,000 while education and health services saw the steepest decline losing 23,000 jobs in April.