The number of Americans filing new applications for jobless benefits unexpectedly fell last week, suggesting employers may be holding on to workers despite other indications of a cooling labor market.

U.S. applications for unemployment benefits fell last week, remaining in the historically healthy range of the past couple years.The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims for the week ending July 5 fell by 5,

Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week as layoffs in the U.S. remain low despite uncertainty about how tariffs will impact the economy

Fewer Americans are making new filings for unemployment benefits. In the week through July 5, initial jobless claims fell to 227,000, from a revised 232,000 a week earlier. Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal had forecast 235,

The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims for the week ending July 5 fell by 5,000 to 227,000, fewer than the 238,000 that analysts forecast. Applications for unemployment aid are viewed as representative of layoffs. The four-week average of claims, which evens out some of the weekly volatility, fell by 5,750 to 235,500.

Applications for US unemployment benefits slid for a fourth week running, reaching their lowest level in two months. The numbers: Initial claims for unemployment benefits fell by 5,000 to 227,000 in the week ending 5 July.