Weekly unemployment insurance claims fell to a two-month low ahead of Friday’s hotly anticipated jobs report, according to data released Thursday. Claims numbered 227,000 for the week ending Aug. 31,

The number of Americans filing new applications for jobless benefits slipped last week, but re-employment opportunities for laid-off workers are becoming more scarce, a sign that the unemployment rate probably remained elevated in August.

Applications for US unemployment benefits ticked up for the time in three weeks, consistent with a gradual slowdown in hiring.

The number of Americans filing new applications for jobless benefits declined last week as layoffs remained low, which could help to allay fears that the labor market was deteriorating. The weekly jobless claims report from the Labor Department on Thursday,

Other data on Thursday showed producer prices rising slightly more than expected in August amid a rebound in the cost of services, including guest house rentals. The combination of a fairly stable labor market and still-high inflation further diminished the chances of the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates by 50 basis points next Wednesday,

The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits increased marginally last week, pointing to a still-low level of layoffs even as the labor market slows.