U.S. applications for unemployment benefits fell last week, remaining in the historically healthy range of the past couple years.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 227,000 for the week ended July 4, the Labor Department said on Thursday. This is a view reinforced by last week's monthly jobs report that showed the unemployment rate ticking down to 4.

Applications for US unemployment benefits fell for a fourth week to the lowest in two months during a period that included the Independence Day holiday.