The number of people claiming unemployment benefits in the US fell by 2,000 to 215,000 on the week to July 4th, below expectations that it would rise to 218,000 for the lowest count in six weeks.
Meanwhile, continuing claims, which are seen as a gauge of outstanding unemployment in the US, rose by 8,000 to 1,814,000 in the last full week of June, the highest since late March but below expectations of 1,820,000.
While the levels remained slightly above those observed in the start of the second quarter, the data continued to support the view of a low-firing labor market.
Meanwhile, initial claims filed by federal employees, which have been under scrutiny due the administration's efforts in decreasing the number of public workers, fell by 40 to 404.