US initial jobless claims fall by 12,000

​​​​​​​By Ovunc Kutlu

ISTANBUL (AA) - The number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims fell by 12,000 last week to 216,000, according to Labor Department data released Thursday.

The figure was lower than estimates of 229,000, while the previous week's reading was revised up by 1,000 from 227,000 to 228,000.

The four-week moving average was 236,500 -- a decrease of 2,250 from the previous week's revised average.

The US economy added 254,000 jobs in September, up from a revised 159,000 jobs in August, while the unemployment rate fell to 4.1% from 4.2%.