The number of Americans filing new applications for jobless benefits fell last week, pointing to steady job growth in July, though some laid off workers are experiencing long spells of unemployment because of a moderation in hiring.

Applications for US unemployment benefits declined for a fifth straight week to the lowest level since mid-April, showing a resilient job market.

New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, increased to 27,860 in the week ending July 12, up from 17,889 the week before, the Labor Department said. U.S. unemployment claims dropped to 221,000 last week,