The numbers: The nation’s businesses created 156,000 private-sector jobs in July, payroll processor ADP said Wednesday, showing that companies are still willing to hire despite stiffer headwinds for the economy such as the ongoing trade spat with China.

Economists polled by Econoday had forecast a gain of 155,000.

Some 112,000 private-sector jobs were added in June, according to revised figures. ADP originally put the increase at a seasonally adjusted 102,000.

ADP is the country’s largest processor of paychecks for thousands of companies and millions of workers. Its report, produced with the help of Moody’s Analytics, helps evaluate the health of the U.S. labor market.

What happened: Big companies added 78,000 jobs, mid-sized firms took on 67,000 new workers and small businesses hired 11,000 people.

Professional and business services led the way by creating 44,000 jobs. Employment also rose by 35,000 in health care, 27,000 in transportation, 26,000 in leisure and hospitality and 15,000 in construction.

The ADP employment figures tend to track the government’s official jobs estimate over time, but they can vary widely from month to month. The government’s report, which also includes government workers, comes out Friday. Economists polled by MarketWatch predict a 171,000 increase.

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Big picture: Hiring in the U.S. has tapered off since the end of 2018, but it’s not all bad.

Companies can’t find enough skilled workers after years of strong hiring gains that have cut the unemployment rate to a 50-year low. Not good for business, but it’s led to higher wages for workers.

More recently, firms have scaled back on hiring because of angst about a weaker global economy and the possible spillover effects on the U.S.

Still, it’s hard to view the labor market as anything but robust. Absent widespread layoffs, Americans are likely to spend more than enough money to extend a record U.S. expansion now in its 11th year.

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What they are saying?: “Job growth is healthy, but steadily slowing. Small businesses are suffering the brunt of the slowdown. Hampering job growth are labor shortages, layoffs at bricks-and-mortar retailers, and fallout from weaker global trade,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s.