The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell to the lowest level in six months last week as layoffs remain at relatively healthy levels. The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claim applications fell by 4,000 to 217,000 for the week of Nov. 9. That’s less than the 225,000 analysts forecast.

The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell last week, suggesting the labor market continued to chug along and that the abrupt slowdown in job growth in October was an aberration.

The number of Americans filing for jobless benefits falls to lowest level in 6 months as layoffs remain at healthy level WASHINGTON -- The number of Americans filing for jobless benefits falls to lowest level in 6 months as layoffs remain at healthy level.

Applications for US unemployment benefits fell to the lowest level since May last week, signaling there is still a healthy demand for workers after recent storms and strikes.

It’s also the second week in a row that Florida bucked the national trend, where first-time unemployment claims increased. There were 229,478 new unemployment filings across the country last week. That’s up by 16,375 claims from the previous week or a 7.7% jump across America.