Fewer Americans file for jobless benefits last week as layoffs remain at historically healthy levels

By MATT OTT Associated Press Business Writer WASHINGTON AP The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell last week to the lowest level in three months a sign that the U S labor realm remains sturdy despite fears over the impact of widespread U S tariffs The Labor Department released Thursday that jobless insists for the week ending July fell by to the fewest since mid-April Last week s number was also lower than the that analysts forecast Applications for unemployment aid are viewed as representative of layoffs Related Articles Army veteran and US citizen arrested in California immigration raid warns it could happen to anyone This day in History July Disneyland s opening day Puppies rescued from flood-stricken Texas arrive at Chicago shelter Grand Canyon blaze shows how managing a fire can go suddenly sideways Bureaucrats take custody of kids in California while surrogate moms claim couple misled them Earlier this month the Labor Department communicated that U S employers added a surprising jobs in June adding to evidence that the American labor sector continues to show resilience despite uncertainty over President Donald Trump s economic policies The job gains were much bigger than expected and the unemployment rate ticked down from in May Analysts were expecting the unemployment to rise to Though the job arena is broadly healthy by historical standards particular weakness has surfaced as employers contend with fallout from Trump s policies especially his aggressive tariffs which raise prices for businesses and consumers Preponderance economists believe the import duties make the business sector less efficient by reducing competition They also invite retaliatory tariffs from other countries hurting U S exporters and potentially driving businesses to freeze hiring or cut staff The deadline on the bulk of Trump s stiff proposed taxes on imports were extended again until Aug Unless Trump reaches deals with other countries to lower the tariffs economists fear they could act as a drag on the financial system and trigger another bout of inflation Companies that have publicized job cuts this year include Procter Gamble Workday Dow CNN Starbucks Southwest Airlines Microsoft Google and Facebook parent company Meta The Labor Department s description Thursday disclosed that the four-week average of indicates which smooths out several of the weekly ups and downs fell by to The total number of Americans collecting unemployment benefits for the week of July remained stable ticking up by just to million