Investing.com - The number of people who filed for unemployment assistance in the U.S. last week fell more than expected, according to official data released on Thursday.
The number of individuals filing for initial jobless benefits in the week ended Oct. 13 fell by 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 210,000 the Labor Department said, not far from a 49-year low of 202,000 set last month.
Analysts had expected claims to decline to 211,000 last week.
Figures for the prior week were revised to show 1,000 more applications received than previously reported.
The four-week moving average increased to 211,750 last week. The monthly average is seen as a more accurate gauge of labor trends because it reduces volatility in the week-to-week data.
Continuing jobless claims, which measures the number of people still receiving benefits after an initial week of aid, came in at 1.64 million, the lowest since August 1973.