WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer Americans applied for jobless aid last week, as the number of people seeking benefits remains near historic lows indicating a robust job market.

The Labor Department said Thursday that weekly unemployment applications fell by 15,000 to a seasonally-adjusted 233,000. It was the largest weekly drop since late April. The less volatile four-week average declined 2,250 to 243,750.

Applications are a close indication of layoffs. Jobless claims have come in below 300,000 for 124 weeks in a row. That’s the longest such stretch since 1970, when the U.S. population was much smaller.

Employers have hired this year at a slower pace as the unemployment rate has fallen to a healthy 4.4 percent. The government’s report for June showed U.S. employers added a robust 222,000 jobs, the most in four months.