The number of people who filed for unemployment assistance in the U.S. last week declined unexpectedly, according to official data released on Thursday.
The number of individuals filing for initial jobless benefits in the week ending September 9 fell by 14,000 to a seasonally adjusted 284,000 the Labor Department said. Analysts had expected claims to rise to 300,000 last week.
Figures for the prior week were unrevised.
The four-week moving average fell by 13,000 to 263,250 last week. The monthly average is seen as a more accurate gauge of labor trends because it reduces volatility in the week-to-week data.
