WASHINGTON -Hiring in the US private sector decelerated in July but was nearly twice as high as analysts expected according to payroll firm ADP on Wednesday, signaling strength in the jobs market. The US labor market has proven resilient even as the central bank hiked interest rates rapidly since March 2022 to cool demand -- with higher lending costs making it pricier to borrow funds for activities like business expansion. Job gains came in at 324,000 last month according to ADP, down from a revised 455,000 figure in June and well above analysts' consensus estimate of 185,000 on Briefing.com. Robust jobs numbers and other encouraging data points have raised hopes of a "soft land...Keep on reading: US private hiring hotter than expected despite July easing