Signs of a thriving economy? New data from global payroll processing firm ADP estimated that the US economy lost 32,000 jobs last month. Small businesses bore the brunt of the job losses, as firms with fewer than 50 employees shed a total of 120,000 jobs, more than offsetting the 90,000 in job gains reported by firms with 50 or more employees. The layoffs represent a 54% increase from the same period a year earlier. Layoff announcements so far this year have hit the highest level seen since 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic shut down the U.S. economy