U.S. applications for unemployment benefits fell last week, suggesting companies are holding onto workers despite a moderation in job gains.
Initial claims for unemployment benefits dropped by 12,000 to 237,000 in the week ending July 8, according to a Labor Department report published Thursday. The print was below all but one estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists.
Continuing claims, which include those who have received benefits for longer than one week, rose to 1.73 million in the week through July 1, marking the first increase in four weeks.
