US initial jobless claims fall by 20,000

By Ovunc Kutlu

ISTANBUL (AA) - The number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims fell by 20,000 last week to 211,000, according to Labor Department figures released Thursday.

The figure was below market estimates of 230,000.

The previous week's figure was revised up by 1,000 to 231,000.

The four-week moving average was 227,250, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's revised average.

The US economy added 263,000 jobs in November, exceeding expectations of a 200,000 gain, while the unemployment rate stood steady at 3.7%, according to the latest Labor Department figures.