Weekly U.S. jobless claims fall 4,000 to 364,000 (by Ruth Mantell)

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- The number of Americans filing initial claims for regular state unemployment-insurance benefits fell 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 364,000 in the week ended Dec. 17, reaching the lowest level since April 2008, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had expected that claims would rise to 375,000, while remaining at levels historically associated with an improving labor market. The four-week average of initial claims - a smoother gauge than the weekly data -- fell 8,000 to 380,250, the lowest level since June 2008. Continuing claims in the week ended Dec. 10 fell 79,000 to 3.55 million, reaching the lowest level since September 2008. The four-week average of these ongoing claims fell 40,000 to 3.63 million, the lowest level since October 2008. About 7.15 million people received some kind of state or federal benefit in the week ended Dec. 3, down about 300,000 from the prior week. Economists have noted that ongoing lower claims levels are echoed in other improving employment data.