ISTANBUL

The number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims last week rose by 55,000 to 286,000, the US Labor Department said on Thursday.

"The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 230,000 to 231,000," the department noted.

The four-week moving average was 231,000, it said, adding that the figure increased by 20,000 from the previous week's average of 211,000 -- revised.

The unemployment rate in the world's largest economy fell to 3.9% last December, down from 4.2% in November, according to the Labor Department.