INITIAL JOBLESS CLAIMS COME IN WAY BELOW EXPECTATIONS AT 335K

UPDATE: Initial jobless claims came in at 335,000 last week, below economists' expectations of a drop to 369,000.

Continuing claims rose to 3.214 million, topping estimates of a smaller rise to 3.155 million.

Below is a breakdown of states experiencing the largest drop in claims:

Here are the states that reported the largest rise in claims:

Click here for the full release >

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ORIGINAL: Minutes away from the latest weekly jobless claims figures, due out in the U.S. at 8:30 AM ET.

Economists expect initial claims to fall to 369,000 from last week's 371,000 figure.

Continuing claims are expected to rise slightly to 3.155 million from 3.109 million last week.

We will have the release LIVE at 8:30 AM ET. Click here for updates >