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WSJ: In a good sign for the job market, the number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless benefits unexpectedly fell last week to their lowest level since July 10.

Initial unemployment claims dropped by 11,000 to 445,000 in the week ended Oct. 2, the Labor Department said in its weekly report Thursday. New claims for the previous week, ended Sept. 25, were revised upward slightly to 456,000 from 453,000.

Economists polled by Dow Jones Newswires had predicted new claims would rise by 2,000.