The increase was led by gains in business and financial services, with large employers adding the bulk of new hires.

Private sector job growth exceeded expectations in March, signaling a surprisingly resilient labor market even as U.S. businesses face growing uncertainty over the potential impact of tariffs. U.S. private employers added 155,

The figure reported on Wednesday is above economists’ estimates of 115,000 jobs and also more than the prior month’s upwardly revised reading of 84,000.