U.S. jobless claims fall 8,000 to 355,000

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch)
Applications for U.S. unemployment benefits dropped by 8,000 to a seasonally adjusted 355,000 in the week ended Nov. 3, a number that was distorted by hurricane Sandy
Initial claims from two weeks ago were unrevised at 363,000, based on more complete data collected at the state level, the Labor Department said Thursday
Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expected claims to decline to 365,000, but they warned that the storm could make the data unreliable for a few weeks
Many people who were affected in large states such as New York and New Jersey may not have been able to file claims right away
The four-week average of new claims, meanwhile, rose by 3,250 to 370,500, Continuing claims fell by 135,000 to 3.13 million.