Initial jobless claims for the week ended July 12 fell by 7K to 221K vs. 233K consensus and 228K prior (revised from 227K), according to data released by the Department of Labor on Thursday.

US retail sales rebounded in June as the value of retail purchases, not adjusted for inflation, increased 0.6% after a sharp decline in May. Elsewhere, applications for US unemployment benefits decreased for a fifth straight week to the lowest level since mid-April.

The number of Americans who newly filed for unemployment benefits declined last week, the Labor Department said Thursday, another reassuring sign about the health of the job market. Jobless claims filings fell to 221,

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Vermont dropped last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday. New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, fell to 206 in the week ending July 12, down from 309 the week before, the Labor Department said.

If the Trump trade wars caused any major private-sector layoffs, there’s little sign of it. Initial jobless claims fell last week to a nearly two-month low.

Fewer Americans are making new filings for unemployment benefits. In the week through July 5, initial jobless claims fell to 227,000, from a revised 232,000 a week earlier. Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal had forecast 235,

The number of Americans filing new applications for jobless benefits fell last week, pointing to steady job growth in July, though some laid off workers are experiencing long spells of unemployment because of a moderation in hiring.

The four-week moving average of new applications, a metric that helps smooth out volatility, dropped to 229,500 — the lowest since early May.