October 19, 2006 8:30 AM, EDT

Initial Jobless Claims Fall 10,000 for Week

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor.

irst-time U.S. jobless claims fell 10,000 to 299,000 last week, the Labor Department said Thursday.

Economists had expected a rise to 310,000 from last week’s initially-reported 308,000, Bloomberg said.

The less-volatile four-week moving average fell to 307,750 from 313,500.

ontinuing jobless claims for the week ended Oct. 7 rose to 2.453 million from 2.428 million a week earlier.