The number of U.S. initial claims for unemployment insurance fell by 10,000, or 1.9%, to 514,000 in the week ended Oct. 10 from the previous week's revised number of 524,000, the U.S .Department of Labor reported today.

The four-week moving average of claims fell by 9,000, or 1.7%, to 531,500 from the previous week's revised average of 540,500.