The number of Americans who applied for unemployment benefits last week fell to the lowest level since mid-May. New claims decreased by 12,000 in the seven days that ended Sept. 14 — to 219,000, the government said Thursday.

Applications for US unemployment benefits fell to the lowest level since May, indicating the job market remains healthy despite a slowdown in hiring.Initial claims decreased by 12,000 to 219,000 in the week ended Sept.

The weekly jobless claims report from the Labor Department on Thursday, the most timely data on the economy's health, also showed jobless rolls shrunk to levels last seen in early June.