First-time jobless claims drop by 15,000 WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Initial unemployment claims fell by 15,000 to a seasonally adjusted 372,000 for the week ending Dec. 31, the U.S. Labor Department said Thursday. The previous week's revised figure was 387,000, the department said in a release. At 373,250, the four-week moving average held under 400,000 for the eighth consecutive week. The U.S. unemployment rate was 8.6 percent in November, the lowest in 2 1/2 years. The advance number of actual unadjusted first-time joblessness claims under state programs was 535,112 in the week ending Dec. 31, an increase of 37,423 from the previous week, Labor Department officials said.