Another 1.3 million US workers filed for unemployment benefits last week, continuing the slowdown in the pace of layoffs, the government reported Thursday.

In this file photo taken on July 7, 2020, a store advertises a sale in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo: AFP)

The four-week moving average slowed to 1.44 million in the week ended July 4, the Labor Department reported, showing a steady decline as the economy reopens from the coronavirus-imposed shutdowns, but still far higher than any pre-pandemic week.

However, nearly 19 million remain on the jobless rolls, according to the data through June 27.