The number of U.S. citizens filing for unemployment benefits is the lowest it has been in 42 years.

Reuters reported the amount of people receiving state unemployment benefits was figured at 267,000 for the week ending on Dec.19. According to the U.S. Labor Department, the last time the figures were this low was in 1973.

The number of people receiving unemployment benefits has been below 300,000 for 42 weeks in a row. The number of people still receiving benefits after an initial week of aid is at 2.20 million.

The decrease in U.S. workers requesting benefits speaks to the current health of the nation's economy. According to CBS News, on Dec. 23, the Dow Jones industrial average gained 185 points and closed at 17,602. Bloomberg, employers have limited laying off workers this year. The reluctance of employers to dismiss skilled workers, coupled with steady hiring, has helped to boost the overall employment rate.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew is optimistic about the current trends in the economy. As Fox reports, Lew spoke of the steady job growth the country was experiencing as well as the relatively low unemployment rate, which is around 5 percent.

“I think if you look at where we ended the year, we have a good, stable platform for growth, more clarity in the tax code, more investment in infrastructure, we've reversed the kind of downward pressure, the drag coming from, you know, sequestration by having sensible cuts that are being used to restore that spending that we need to invest in education and other things for the future,” said Lew.

According to the the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the states with the lowest unemployment rates include North Dakota, Nebraska and South Dakota. At 6.8 percent unemployment, New Mexico has the highest number of people out of work.