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November 3, 2005 8:40 AM, EST

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he number of U.S. workers filing initial unemployment benefits fell to a two-month low, because of fewer hurricane-related filings, the Labor Department said Thursday.

The decline of 8,000 to 323,000 claims for the week ended Oct. 29 was greater than the 330,000 economists had expected, Bloomberg reported.

The four-week moving average of claims, a less volatile measure, fell to 350,500 from 367,500 a week earlier, Labor said.

The number of people filing continuing jobless claims fell to 2.823 million for the previous week ended Oct. 22, from 2.867 million a week earlier, Labor said.