US stock indices gained ground mildly on Friday following the mixed payrolls report.

The report showed the US economy added an excellent 275 thousand new jobs in February, compared to estimates of 198 thousand, and after adding 229 thousand jobs in January.

The increase in US jobs last month was above the 12-month average of 230 thousand, with gains focused on the healthcare system, government jobs, and food services.

The data also showed unemployment claims rose 0.2% to 3.9% in February, while analysts expected no change at 3.7%.

On trading, Dow Jones rose 0.2%, or 86 points as of 16:22 GMT to 38,877, while SP 500 rose 0.1%, or 6 points to 5,163, as NASDAQ climbed 0.1%, or 19 points to 16,292.