WASHINGTON -- Requests for U.S. unemployment assistance fell to the smallest total in more than five decades last week, underscoring that layoffs continue at unusually low rates even amid worldwide economic uncertainty.

The count of Americans seeking jobless benefits for the week ending July 18 dropped 22,000 to 187,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. That marks the lowest weekly total since the week ending Sept. 6, 1969, based on Labor Department records.

The figure also came in under the 215,000 new claims projected by analysts polled by FactSet.

Regular unemployment filings serve as a gauge for layoffs and offer a timely snapshot of U.S. labor market conditions.

Even with rising oil prices tied to the U.S. military action against Iran, the domestic job market stays solid and terminations remain scarce. Still, experts note that an extended conflict and elevated energy expenses might gradually erode this strength, prompting firms to cut staff to manage expenses.

"The economic strain from the energy supply disruption persists," said Carl Weinberg, chief economist at High Frequency Trading. "Yet the labor market shows no evidence of strain from the jump in oil prices."

U.S. crude prices climbed nearly 5 percent early Thursday past $91 per barrel, the highest point in roughly six weeks. Average gasoline prices have also climbed back above $4 per gallon, tightening household budgets and raising costs for fuel-intensive businesses.

The government's broad June employment report released earlier this month showed employers slowed hiring, adding just 57,000 positions. That total is less than half the prior month's figure and signals ongoing caution among companies about expanding staff. The jobless rate eased to 4.2 percent from 4.3 percent in May, though the shift largely reflects people exiting the labor force after stopping their job searches.