Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, continuing a nearly two-year trend that suggests a solid job market.

Weekly requests for jobless aid fell 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 265,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. The less volatile four-week moving average for claims was 263,000. The data tend to fluctuate around the year-end holidays.

Over the past year, the number of people collecting benefits has fallen almost 5 percent to 2.1 million.

The historically low number of people seeking jobless aid is seen as a positive sign for the economy.

Weekly jobless claims below 300,000 often point to healthy hiring levels. And the low level of applications indicates that employers are holding onto workers and possibly looking to expand. Claims have stayed below 300,000 for 95 straight weeks, the longest streak since 1970.

The numbers indicate consumer spending has been strong enough to sustain job growth, even though global pressures appear to have stunted overall economic gains during 2016. U.S. employers have added 2.25 million jobs over the past 12 months. And in November, the unemployment rate fell to 4.6 percent.

Major stock indexes close lower

A day of quiet trading on Wall Street ended Thursday with major U.S. stock indexes posting slight losses for the second day in a row.

Banks and energy companies led the slide, while high-dividend stocks like utilities and phone companies rose as bond yields fell. The price of U.S. crude oil closed lower.

Small-company stocks fared better than the rest of the market. Trading was light ahead of the New Year's Day holiday.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 13.90 points, or 0.1 percent, to 19,819.78. The Standard & Poor's 500 index slipped 0.66 points, or 0.03 percent, to 2,249.26 The Nasdaq composite lost 6.47 points, or 0.1 percent, to 5,432.09.

633,753 Odyssey minivans recalled

Honda Motor Co. is recalling 633,753 Odyssey minivans in the U.S. because the second-row seats could move unexpectedly.

The recall involves Odysseys from the 2011 to 2016 model years. They were made between Aug. 1, 2010, and Oct. 1, 2015.

The vehicles have a second-row seat lever that moves the outer seats forward to access the third row. Honda says the release lever may remain in an unlocked position, which could allow the seats to move unexpectedly. Honda says the problem was identified through warranty claims. There are no reports of injuries or accidents related to the issue.