U.S. hiring rebounded sharply in August, as nonfarm payrolls rose by 162,000 and ebullient sector performance eased market anxieties over a cooling labor landscape.

Data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed the monthly gains easily outpaced economists’ expectations, who had anticipated a modest gain of around 56,000 positions. The nation’s unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.1 percent.

Key drivers behind the gains included robust expansion across government education and the leisure and hospitality sectors. The three-month average for job additions moved up to roughly 71,000 per month, recovering from sharper lulls recorded earlier in the summer.

Economists say the unexpectedly solid figures provide federal policymakers with additional breathing room as they navigate broader interest rate policy and track lingering inflation pressures heading into the fall.