Government data due out Friday is forecast to show the nation's unemployment rate held at a low 4.5 percent in July for the fourth straight month. The rate remained steady in June when payrolls grew by 132,000, which compared with 157,000 new jobs in May, both of which beat analysts' expectations. The market expects to learn that 135,000 new jobs were created in July and that the overall unemployment remained at 4.5 percent, according to the consensus estimate of Wall Street economists surveyed by Thomson/IFR. The Labor Department data is scheduled to be released at 8:30 a.m. EDT. On Thursday, the department said new applications filed for unemployment insurance rose by a seasonally adjusted 4,000 to 307,000 for the week ending July 28. Despite the increase, the new claims were lower than economists were expecting and were further evidence of a mostly healthy employment climate despite a sluggish economy and ongoing slump in the housing market. The four-week moving average of new claims, which smooths out week-to-week fluctuations, fell by 3,500 last week to 305,500, the lowest level since late May. But not all job news was rosy this week after Unilever, Monster Worldwide Inc. and Johnson & Johnson all announced major restructuring plans. Unilever, the Dutch-British maker of everything from Axe deodorants and Dove soaps to Lipton teas, on Thursday said it planned to cut 20,000 jobs worldwide in the next four years. The cuts will include employees at businesses Unilever plans to sell before 2010, such as its U.S. laundry arm known for All, Surf and Snuggles products. Health care giant Johnson & Johnson said it plans to reduce its global work force by up 4,820 jobs to cut costs due to slumping sales and looming patent expirations. The company employs about 120,500 people in 57 countries. Monster said it is cutting 800 jobs, or about 15 percent of its work force, starting now and into next year.