The number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims last week fell 12,000 to 214,000, according to figures released Thursday by the Labor Department.
The expectation was for the number to come in at 230,000. The previous week's number was revised down by 2,000 from 228,000 to 226,000.
The four-week moving average was 212,250, an increase of 1,250 from the previous week's revised average.
The US economy generated 263,000 jobs in September, while the unemployment rate stood at 3.5%.
