The US four-week moving average of initial claims for unemployment insurance fell to 214,500 last week, down 3,500 from the previous week’s unrevised average, the US Department of Labor reported today.

The four-week moving average decreases the volatility of the weekly numbers. Total initial claims for unemployment insurance for the week ended July 28 rose to 218,000, up 1,000 from the previous week’s unrevised level.

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits rose less than expected last week, pointing to sustained strength in the labor market despite trade tensions, Reuters reported. “Claims had started to move higher in mid-June, leading us to question whether it could be the fallout of protectionist measures,” Blerina Uruci, an economist at Barclays in Washington, told Reuters. “The decline over the past few weeks, however, suggests no such effect on labor markets yet.”