WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- The number of people who applied for regular state unemployment-insurance benefits in the week that ended July 12 fell by 3,000 to 302,000 - the lowest level in nine weeks - signaling that employers are still laying off few workers, according to government data released Thursday. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had expected initial claims of 310,000 in the most recent weekly data. The average of new claims over the past month declined by 3,000 to 309,000 - the lowest level since June 2007, the U.S. Labor Department reported. The government also said that continuing claims in the week that ended July 5 dropped by 79,000 to a seasonally adjusted 2.51 million - the lowest level since June 2007. Continuing claims reflect the number of people already receiving benefits.