Workers Feel Better, Hiring Keeps Cooling: What Employers Should Know (Oct. 28, 2026)
Two fresh readings on the job market came out on Tuesday, and at first glance they point in different directions. Workers are feeling a little better about finding jobs, while payroll data shows companies are hiring more slowly. Here's a plain-language look, as of October 28, 2026, at what each one says and what it means if you need people before the end of the year.
Workers are a bit more upbeat
In its October Consumer Confidence Survey (opens in a new tab), released October 27, The Conference Board said its index rose 7.5 points to 91.7, up from 84.2 in September. The share of people saying jobs are "plentiful" climbed to 26.7 percent from 24.3 percent, while the share saying jobs are "hard to get" stayed at 21.4 percent.
The outlook is still cautious, though. Only 15.2 percent of consumers expect more jobs to be available in six months, while 26.3 percent expect fewer. The Conference Board tied much of October's bounce to gas prices easing and said confidence remains on a long-term downward trend.
Private hiring slowed again
ADP's NER Pulse weekly estimate (opens in a new tab), also released October 27, shows private employers added an average of 16,750 jobs a week in the four weeks ending October 10. ADP said hiring slowed for the second week in a row.
| Four weeks ending | Average jobs added per week |
|---|---|
| September 19 | 25,250 |
| September 26 | 26,000 |
| October 3 | 17,500 |
| October 10 | 16,750 |
Those numbers are preliminary, and ADP has already trimmed its October 3 figure from the 18,500 we reported on Monday. Still, they fit the slow pace in the September BLS jobs report (opens in a new tab), where employers added just 29,000 jobs and unemployment held at 4.2 percent.
Why both can be true
Layoffs remain low. New jobless claims came in at just 194,000 for the week ending October 17, according to the Labor Department (opens in a new tab). When people aren't losing their jobs, they feel more secure, even if companies aren't adding many new positions. That's the market employers are hiring in right now: few people being let go, and few new jobs being created.
What this means for employers
- Confident workers are harder to pull away. When people feel secure where they are, it takes a clear offer, a fair wage and a quick decision to get them to move. Slow hiring steps lose good candidates.
- A slow-hiring market rewards planning ahead. If many companies are holding off, they may all start looking at the same time once orders pick up. Lining up holiday and first-quarter help now is easier than scrambling in December.
- Temp help fits a cautious outlook. With consumers expecting fewer jobs ahead, many employers don't want to commit to permanent headcount. Temporary or temp-to-hire workers let you cover the work without that risk.
- Screening still matters most. A tight pool of available workers is no reason to cut corners. Our post on the real cost of a bad hire explains why.
Coming up: September jobless rates for metro areas, including Monroe and Detroit, later today, October 28, new weekly jobless claims on Thursday, October 29, September JOLTS job openings on November 3, and the October jobs report on November 6. ADP's next weekly estimate is due November 10.
Let us help you get ahead
Aggressive Hiring Group is a woman-owned, family-run staffing agency in Monroe, MI, placing workers for employers nationwide for 12 years. We keep a network of pre-screened industrial, warehouse, logistics, office and technical candidates ready to go, and every one goes through our screening process, including background and reference checks and 10-panel drug screening. Call us at 734.785.8968, Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM, or request staff online.
Sources: The Conference Board, Consumer Confidence Survey, October 2026 (released Oct. 27, 2026, preliminary results from Oct. 1 to 21); ADP Research, NER Pulse preliminary estimate for October 10, 2026 (released Oct. 27, 2026), four-week moving average, seasonally adjusted; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Employment Situation, September 2026 (released Oct. 2, 2026); U.S. Department of Labor, Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims (released Oct. 22, 2026). Figures are preliminary and subject to revision.