First-time filings for state unemployment benefits fell by 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 308,000 last week, the Labor Department said Thursday. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch were expecting claims to rise to about 316,000. The four-week average of new claims fell by 7,250 to 309,250, the lowest since Feb. 26. Continuing jobless claims, meanwhile, fell by 8,000 to 2.57 million.