US initial jobless claims down 3,000 last week, below expectations

The number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims decreased by 3,000 last week to 209,000, according to US Labor Department data released on Thursday.

The figure was below the market expectations of 210,000 for last week, following the previous week's upwardly revised 212,000.

The four-week moving average was 202,500, a decrease of 1,500 from the previous week's upwardly revised 204,000.

The US economy added 115,000 jobs in April, a figure much higher than expectations of a 65,000 gain.

The unemployment rate was at 4.3% in April, unchanged from March.