US initial jobless claims fall by 4,000

ANKARA

The number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims last week fell 4,000 to 222,000, according to Labor Department figures released Thursday.

The figure was expected to come in at 225,000.

The agency revised up the previous week's number by 1,000 to 226,000.

The four-week moving average stood at 221,000, an increase of 2,000 from the previous week's revised average.

The US economy generated 261,000 jobs in October but the unemployment rate rose to 3.7%, from 3.5% in September.