U.S. Weekly Jobless Claims Edge Down Less Than Expected

First-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits edged down by less than expected in the week ended December 1st, the Labor Department revealed in a report released on Thursday.

The report said initial jobless claims slipped to 231,000, a decrease of 4,000 from the previous week's revised level of 235,000.

Economists had expected jobless claims to dip to 225,000 from the 234,000 originally reported for the previous week.