Fewer Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, but applications remained at recently elevated, though not troubling levels.

Jobless claims for the week ending July 20 fell by 10,000 to 235,000 from 245,000 the previous week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. It’s the ninth straight week claims came in above 220,000. Before that stretch, claims had been below that number in all but three weeks so far in 2024.

Weekly unemployment claims are widely considered as representative of layoffs, and though they have been slightly higher the past couple of months, they remain at historically healthy levels.

The total number of Americans collecting unemployment benefits fell for the second time in three weeks. About 1.85 million Americans were collecting jobless benefits for the week of July 13, around 9,000 fewer than the previous week.

The four-week average of claims, which evens out some of the week-to-week volatility, rose by 250 to 235,250.

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By MATT OTT AP Business Writer