The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell last week, a government report showed on Thursday.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits declined by 11,000 to a seasonally adjusted 225,000 for the week ended Dec. 9 from an unrevised 236,000 the week before, the Labor Department said.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast claims rising to 239,000 in the latest week.

The 4-week moving average was 234,750, a decrease of 6,750 from the previous week's unrevised average of 241,500.