According to Bloomberg, the number of U.S. unemployment benefit applications remained relatively unchanged last week, signaling that layoffs remain limited. Initial claims fell by 2,000 to 215,000 in the week ending July 4, a period that included the Independence Day holiday.

The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for 217,000 applications. Continuing claims edged up to 1.81 million in the previous week, according to Labor Department data released Thursday.
The low level of claims indicates that employers remain reluctant to lay off workers. However, the June jobs report showed a slowdown in hiring, slightly dampening the recent momentum in the labor market.
The June report also showed many Americans leaving the labor force, a shift consistent with fewer filings for unemployment. Before seasonal adjustment, initial claims rose by nearly 10,000, almost entirely driven by an increase in filings in California.$BTC