ADP chief economist Nela Richardson joins 'Squawk Box' to break down ADP's latest monthly employment report.

ADP's monthly employment report revealed that private payrolls in the United States increased by 41,000 in December, with the largest gains seen in education, healthcare, and leisure and hospitality. The report also noted a modest rebound in small business hiring and a narrowing of job losses in the goods sector compared to November.

ADP's chief economist, Nella Richardson, explained that the strong job growth was concentrated in sectors benefiting from higher consumer spending, particularly among high-income groups. She also highlighted that ADP's data has been recently benchmarked, making direct comparisons with upcoming BLS numbers challenging until both are re-benchmarked in February 2025.

Private payrolls rose 41,000 in December, below expectations, ADP says

News just out, literally as we've been speaking, ADP's monthly employment report, private payroll is rebounding in December, added 41,000 jobs led by education, healthcare, and leisure and hospitality sectors. Joining us right now is Nella Richardson. She's ADP's chief economist. Tell us what's going on. Well, we did see a rebound, and we saw it pretty firmly across the sectors that have been the stalwarts, still leading, healthcare services and leisure and hospitality. Goods, down, but those losses narrowed in December. So basically every sector that lost jobs in November lost fewer jobs in December, so that's kind of good news. And we also saw a rebound in small businesses. It's not a strong push, but it was an increase in hiring in the last month of the year, and I think that's a great sign going into 2026. So we saw some of the GDP numbers that I think surprised people earlier last December. If you look at these numbers now, we're going to see the jobs number on Friday. What do you think this portends, and how closely correlated do you think they're going to be? Well, I'll take that second question first. Remember, these numbers have been benchmarked. So ADP benchmarked the numbers with the QCW, the formal census, in August. And so when those people who are looking at Chair Powell's remarks talking about perhaps the BLS numbers being biased towards the upside, you won't see that in the ADP numbers, and both series will be re-benchmarked for the full year in 2025 in February. That means that there's not going to be a lot of comparison between the full number ADP and the full number BLS on Friday. One's been benchmarked, one hasn't. But you'll still see, I think, the strong sectors stay strong, health services and leisure and hospitality. Now, turning to the first part of your question, it's not lost on me that the strong sectors have been the sectors where there's been a benefit from this K-shaped economy. Health services is an expensive sector, and leisure and hospitality is an optional, a discretionary sector. And so that is reflective of what we've seen in the overall economy, where high-income consumers are really driving spending. And jobs. We're going to leave the conversation there. We appreciate it, and we look forward to what we hear on Friday and see how things match up. Thanks.

President Trump weighed in on the deadly shooting involving an ICE officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Wednesday. CBS News' Willie James Inman reports.

Minneapolis

Trump claims woman shot by ICE in Minneapolis was “very disorderly”

President Trump plans to meet with Colombian President Gustavo Petro after Mr. Trump issued threats following the U.S. operation in Venezuela that led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro. CBS News' Lilia Luciano reports from Bogotá.

Washington

Trump to meet Colombia’s Petro after tensions over Venezuela operation

The United Kingdom aided the U.S. in an operation to seize a sanctioned oil tanker linked to Venezuela in the North Atlantic. CBS News' Ramy Inocencio reports.

UK helped the U.S. seize an oil tanker linked to Venezuela

U.S. forces on Wednesday seized two oil tankers, one in the North Atlantic and the other in the Caribbean, as part of the Trump administration's blockade of Venezuela's oil exports. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. will take between 30 million and 50 million barrels of oil and sell it in the marketplace.

U.S. to control money from Venezuela oil sales after tanker seizures

Nick Reiner was set to be arraigned on murder charges on Wednesday in the killing of his parents Rob and Michele Reiner. But his defense attorney, Alan Jackson, told the judge he could no longer represent the 32-year-old. After the hearing, Jackson said he couldn't say why he withdrew for legal reasons, but added, "Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder."

Los Angeles

Nick Reiner's lawyer withdraws from case, says Reiner 'is not guilty'

NASA is considering a rare early return of its crew from the International Space Station over an unspecified medical issue involving one of the astronauts, after canceling a planned spacewalk that had been scheduled for Thursday (January 8), the agency said.

NASA mulls early ISS crew return due to astronaut medical issue

Washington says it has intercepted two Venezuela-linked oil tankers in the Atlantic as part of President Trump’s hardline effort to control oil movements across the Americas, claiming the vessels were part of a so-called shadow fleet used to ship sanctioned crude from Venezuela and Iran.

UK helped U.S. military to seize sentenced oil tanker on way to Russia

Minneapolis erupts in protests after a woman is shot by a federal agent – Video of the incident sparks outrage nationwide.

ICE shoots woman: Incident sparks protests across the U.S.

President Masoud Pezeshkian has urged security forces to show restraint, distinguishing peaceful protesters from armed rioters. However, rights group Iran Human Rights says at least 27 protesters have been killed, while Iranian media report 15 deaths, including members of the security forces.

Tehran

Iran police officer killed as cost-of-living protests enter 12th day

The decision comes as Trump approaches the first anniversary of his second term. Since returning to office, he has already moved to exit the World Health Organization, the Paris climate agreement, and UNESCO, while cutting funding to several UN bodies.

Trump orders U.S. withdrawal from 66 international organisations

Iran's army chief threatened pre-emptive military action on Wednesday over the "rhetoric" targeting the country, thought to be in reference to threats made by US President Donald Trump last week, warning that if Tehran "violently kills peaceful protesters," Washington would "come to their rescue."

Iran army chief threatens pre-emptive attack after Trump threats

U.S. forces have boarded a Venezuela-linked sanctioned oil tanker in the North Atlantic after pursuing it for weeks. The U.S. military also announced the seizure of a sanctioned tanker ship in the Caribbean Sea, the second vessel taken by American forces on Wednesday.

Venezuela Strikes

U.S. seizes two more sanctioned oil tankers with links to Venezuela

A woman was fatally shot by an ICE officer Wednesday morning in Minneapolis, the Department of Homeland Security says. CBS News' Nicole Sganga reports from the scene.

Protesters gather after ICE shoots and kills woman in Minneapolis

The U.S. seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker that was being shadowed by a Russian submarine on Wednesday (Jan. 7), after a more than two-week-long pursuit across the Atlantic as part of a U.S. "blockade" of Venezuelan oil exports.

U.S. seizes Venezuela-linked oil tanker after weeks-long pursuit

Nick Reiner, the son of Rob and Michele Reiner, is set to be arraigned in the killing of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner. It comes as details emerge about his time in custody and how his mental health history could play a role in his case.

Nick Reiner due in court on murder charges

Flights across France and Belgium and Eurostar train services have been severely disrupted by the winter weather.

Paris

Eurostar trains and hundreds of flights cancelled amid heavy snowfall

President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday urged security forces to distinguish between what he called rioters and protesters, urging them not to target peaceful demonstrators.

Iran's President urges security forces not to target protesters

In Iran, protests that broke out on December 28th over the soaring cost of living look set to continue. Security forces fired tear gas at demonstrators in Tehran's Grand Bazaar on January 6: without giving numbers, Iran's IRNA news agency said 'some' people were arrested.

Death toll rises as Iran's security forces clash with protesters

Members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are reacting to the Trump administration's comments on a potential Greenland takeover from Denmark.

Nuuk

European leaders blast Trump over Greenland takeover discussions

Donald Trump says Venezuela will hand over as much as 50 million barrels of oil and he will control the profits.

Trump says Venezuela will turn over 30-50 million barrels of oil

Britain and France have said they could send troops to Ukraine if a ceasefire is agreed. The pledge came at a Paris meeting of 30 nations, including the US, on security guarantees demanded by Kyiv before any peace deal.

London

Ukraine Invasion

UK, France ready to deploy troops in Ukraine after ceasefire

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said he would “take up arms” in the face of threats issued by US President Donald Trump.

Bogotá

Colombia vows to defend its sovereignty amid Trump’s military threats

Israeli forces storm Birzeit University in the occupied West Bank soon after students begin a sit-in in solidarity with jailed Palestinians.

Jerusalem

Middle East Conflict

Israeli school assault wounds dozens of Palestinians in West Bank raid

The White House says U.S. President Donald Trump and his team are considering a range of options in efforts to acquire Greenland as the ouster of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro continues to reverberate in the Western Hemisphere.

Trump sees acquiring Greenland as a national security priority

The United States for the first time backed a broad coalition of Ukraine's allies in vowing to provide security guarantees that leaders said would include binding commitments to support the country if it is attacked by Russia again.

U.S. backs security guarantees for Ukraine at summit of Kyiv's allies

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed deep concern over recent U.S. military action in Venezuela, calling for the immediate release of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

Soweto

Ramaphosa urges UN action after U.S. capture of Maduro

At least 25 people have been killed in Iran during the first nine days of protests that started in the bazaar of Tehran over the plunging value of the currency and soaring inflation, according to rights groups. This video contains graphic images.

Rights groups say at least 25 dead in Iran protests

The administration of President Donald Trump is planning to meet with executives from U.S. oil companies later this week to discuss boosting Venezuelan oil production after U.S. forces ousted its leader Nicolas Maduro, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Trump administration sets meetings with oil firms on Venezuela: source

Uncertainty in Venezuela has crossed into neighboring Colombia, especially after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested Colombian President Gustavo Petro could face U.S. action following the capture of Nicolás Maduro.

Tension rises in Colombia after Maduro’s capture

Nicolas Maduro appeared in a US courtroom on January 5, 2026. He pleaded "Not Guilty" to drug trafficking and other charges, insisting he is still Venezuela's president. Maduro's kidnapping is being justified by the Trump administration as a "surgical law enforcement operation", but what proof is the case resting on?

Breakdown