WASHINGTON — U.S. applications for unemployment benefits fell last week, remaining in the historically healthy range of the past couple of years.

The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims for the week ending July 5 fell by 5,000 to 227,000, fewer than the 238,000 that analysts forecast. The applications are viewed as representative of layoffs.

Last week, data showed U.S. employers added a surprising 147,000 jobs in June, another sign the labor market has resilience despite uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s economic policies.

But some job market weakness has surfaced. Companies cutting jobs this year include Procter & Gamble, Workday, CNN, Starbucks, Microsoft, Google and Facebook parent Meta. — Associated Press