Jobless claims fall 8,000 during Sandy - WLTZ 38 | Columbus Georgia Regional News & Community

(CNN) - First-time claims for unemployment fell last week, as Hurricane Sandy led to power outages and closed offices on the East Coast.

The government says about 355-thousand people filed for first-time jobless benefits last week, down eight-thousand from the week before.

It's the lowest level in a month, but economists say the fall is almost entirely due to the extreme weather conditions.

Claims are likely to head higher in the next weekly report.