U.S. jobless claims decline to 189,000

Initial jobless claims fell by 6,000 from the previous week to 189,000. Markets had expected claims to reach 197,000, making the reported figure lower than forecasts. The previous week's claims were revised upward from 194,000 to 195,000.

The four-week moving average of initial jobless claims declined by 2,250 to 194,750. Meanwhile, continuing jobless claims increased by 23,000 to 1.718 million in the week ending October 24. The figures indicated that although new unemployment claims declined, existing unemployed workers continued to face challenges in finding new jobs.