US initial jobless claims fall by 6,000

ISTANBUL

The number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims dropped 6,000 last week to 213,000, according to Labor Department data released Thursday.

The figure was below the market forecast of 220,000 and down from the previous week's unrevised level of 219,000.

The four-week moving average was 217,750 – a drop of 3,750 from the previous week's unrevised average of 221,500.

The unemployment rate was at 4.1% in October, constant from the three-month low in the prior month.