U.S. Filings For Jobless Aid Fall; NYC Prepares For Busy July 4 Weekend

U.S. applications for jobless aid inched down last week as layoffs remain at historically healthy levels. The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits in the week ending June 27 fell by 1,000 to 215,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

U.S. employers slowed hiring last month and added only 57,000 jobs, less than half the previous month’s total and a sign companies still have a cautious economic outlook.

New York City is preparing for one of its busiest Fourth of July weekends in years under dangerous heat and heightened security. The challenges come as a major heat wave expands across much of the country.