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.
Last week, the Labor Department reported that U.S. employers added a surprising 147,000 jobs in June, yet another sign that the American labor market continues to show resilience.
The job gains were much bigger than expected and the unemployment rate ticked down 4.1% from 4.2% in May. Analysts had forecast that unemployment would rise to 4.3%.
