By Ovunc Kutlu
ISTANBUL (AA) - The number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims rose by 2,000 last week to 216,000, according to Labor Department figures released Thursday.
The figure was below estimates of 222,000.
The previous week's figure was revised from 211,000 to 214,000.
The four-week moving average was 221,750, a decrease of 6,250 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 agency.