The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits ticked up to the highest level in a month last week, suggesting the labor market was largely stable even though job creation is weakening and it is taking laid-off workers longer to find new employment.

The labor market isn’t great for people looking to work. But as long as most people who have a job keep their jobs, they are likely to continue to spend at levels that support a growing economy and stave off a recession.