Reuters/Jason Reed
Mervin Sealy from Hickory, North Carolina, takes part in a protest rally outside the Capitol Building in Washington, October 5, 2011. Demonstrators were demanding that Congress create jobs, not make budget cuts during the protest.
Economists forecast that claims ticked up slightly to 265,000.
Last week, claims unexpectedly fell to 259,000. That was the fourth week in a row claims came in better than expected.
Additionally, as of last Thursday, claims have been under 300,000 for 79 straight weeks - the longest streak since 1970.