US private employers added fewer positions than anticipated last month, according to the private payroll processor ADP, starting 2026 off on a downbeat note. Private payrolls grew by just 22,000 in January, ADP said Wednesday, below economists' expectations of 45,000 positions. The tally for last year was perhaps an omen. "Job creation took a step back in 2025, with private employers adding 398,000 jobs, down from 771,000 in 2024," ADP chief economist Nela Richardson said in a statement. "While we've seen a continuous and dramatic slowdown in job creation for the past three years, wage growth has remained stable." Manufacturing...