The number of Americans filing new applications for jobless benefits unexpectedly fell to a seven-week low last week, suggesting employers may be holding on to workers despite other indications of a cooling labor market and creating no urgency for the Federal Reserve to resume its interest rate cuts.

The number of Americans who newly filed for unemployment benefits declined last week, the Labor Department said Thursday, although the report suggested that the size of the unemployed population continued to grow in June.

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Missouri rose last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday. New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, increased to 3,425 in the week ending July 5, up from 3,174 the week before, the Labor Department said.