The number of American workers filing for unemployment benefits last week fell more sharply than economists expected and hit a fresh pandemic-era low. First-time filings for unemployment insurance—a proxy for layoffs—came in at 281,000 for the week ending Oct. 23, the Labor Department said in a statement (pdf). The consensus forecast was for 290,000 claims. “After three straight weekly increases, new jobless claims have finally moved to the downside. The decline of 38,000 to 326,000 in seasonally adjusted new claims leaves them slightly above the pandemic-era low one month ago,” Bankrate senior economic analyst Mark Hamrick told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement. “New claims for unemployment benefits surprised on the downside, coming in lower-than-expected with a decline of 10,000 to 281,000,” Bankrate senior economic analyst Mark Hamrick told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement. “Reflecting fresh job loss, this is the fourth straight weekly drop continuing to tiptoe closer …