Jobless claims fall sharply in week

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- First-time claims for U.S. unemployment insurance benefits fell by 20,000 during the week ending Oct. 31, the U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday.

The 512,000 initial benefits claims contributed to a four-week rolling average of 523,750, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's rolling average of 526,750.

The U.S. unemployment rate remained unchanged at 9.8 percent.

The biggest increases in claims for the week ending Oct. 24 were reported by California, with 14,394 additional claims; North Carolina, which added 3,190; and Oregon, which added 3,131, the report said.

State-by-state statistics lag a week behind the national report.

For the week ending Oct. 24, the biggest decreases were reported by Indiana, with a decline of 2,346 claims; Puerto Rico, declining by 1,479; and Iowa with 969 fewer claims than the week of Oct. 17.