 Fewer Americans filing for unemployment benefits last week as the labor market remained sturdy despite high interest rates. The Labor Department reported jobless claims for the week ending July 6th fell by 17,000 to 222,000. The total number of Americans collecting benefits declined for the first time in 10 weeks. Stocks finished mixed. The Dow was up 32 points. The Nasdaq lost 364. The S&P 500 dropped 49.