NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - The number of Americans filing for unemployment assistance fell by 18,000 last week, the government reported Thursday, coming in below economists' estimates.

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Initial claims for unemployment insurance fell to 338,000 in the week ended April 24, down from a revised 356,000 the previous week, the U.S. Labor Department reported. Economists expected jobless claims to come in at 343,000, according to Briefing.com.

The four-week average of initial claims, which irons out weekly fluctuations, slipped to 346,500 last week from a revised 347,750 the prior week.

The Labor Department said the overall number of people on the benefit rolls who had already received an initial week of aid climbed to 3,013,000 from a revised 3,010,000 the previous week.