The number of Americans filing new applications for jobless benefits dipped to the lowest in a month last week.

Unemployment insurance claims dropped to their lowest level in a month, showing signs of health in the U.S. labor market amid a broader slowdown in employment conditions. Initial claims fell by 1,000 to 219,

Jobless claims arrived lower than forecasts for the week ending Dec. 21. Claims were 219,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week’s unrevised level of 220,000, according to the Labor Department.

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Wisconsin 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 5,816 in the week ending Dec. 21, down from 5,871 the week before, the Labor Department said.

The number of Americans receiving continued unemployment benefits rose to 1.91 million for the week of Dec. 14, according to Labor Department data. That’s a week-to-week increase of 46,000 claims, and represents the highest number of Americans collecting recurring unemployment benefits since November 2021, according to the Associated Press.

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Vermont rose last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday. New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, increased to 607 in the week ending December 21, up from 501 the week before, the Labor Department said.

The number of Americans filing new applications for jobless benefits dipped to the lowest in a month last week, consistent with a cooling but still healthy labor market that is likely to keep Federal Reserve officials from cutting interest rates any further in the near term.