US jobless claims remain unchanged, previous week revised

By Ovunc Kutlu

ANKARA (AA) - The number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims remained unchanged at 205,000 last week, compared to the previous week's revised figure, the US Labor Department said Thursday.

While the figure is the 11th consecutive week below 300,000, it is still the lowest level for initial claims since 1969.

Analysts expected the figure to come in at 205,000 for the week ending Dec. 18. Last week's level was revised down by 1,000 from 206,000 to 205,000.

The unemployment rate in the world's largest economy fell to 4.2% in November, down from 4.6% in October, according to the Labor Department.

The US economy, however, added 210,000 jobs in November, much lower than estimates.