Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 216,000 claims for the latest week. Claims have retreated from the near 1-1/2-year high seen in early October, which was the result of hurricanes and strikes at Boeing BA.N and another aerospace company.

The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell to a seven-month low last week, suggesting that job growth likely rebounded in November after abruptly slowing last month amid hurricanes and strikes.

K to 213K vs. the 220K consensus and 219K prior (revised from 217K). Continuing claims: 1.908M vs. 1.872M prior (revised from 1.873M). More on the US Economy Is Fed Policy Still Too Tight? Fed's Bowman urges 'cautious approach' to rate cuts as inflation progress stalls E-commerce retail sales

The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell to a seven-month low last week, suggesting that job growth likely rebounded in November after abruptly slowing last month amid hurricanes and strikes.

The number of workers filing new unemployment claims declined to the lowest level since April, adding to evidence that while the labor market may be cooling, it isn't falling off a cliff. Last week, 213,

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week, remaining near seven-month lows. Claim applications fell by 2,000 to 213,000 for the week of Nov. 23, the Labor Department reported Wednesday.