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Initial jobless claims fell by 6,000 last week, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

Claims for the week ended Saturday fell to 331,000 from a revised 337,000 the prior week.

The number of claims was below analysts’ median forecast of 332,000 new claims, Bloomberg News reported.

The four-week moving average, a less volatile measure, rose to 331,250 from 330,500, the previous week.

Continuing jobless claims for the previous week ended Aug. 17 declined by 14,000 to 2.99 million.