Weekly US applications for jobless benefits slide to lowest level in 5 months July 27, 2023 at 02:50AM

The number of Americans applying for jobless benefits slid last week to its lowest level in five months, further evidence that the US labor market continues to defy the Federal Reserve's attempts to cool it off. US applications for unemployment benefits fell by 7,000 to 221,000 for the week ending July 22, from 228,000 the week before, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That's the fewest since February.