(WASHINGTON) — Jobless claims continued to fall last week, dropping by 9,000, according to the latest figures released Wednesday by the Labor Department.

For the week ending Dec. 20, the number of people filing for unemployment benefits fell to 280,000. The previous week, claims stood unrevised at 289,000.

The Labor Department said there were no "special factors" impacting that week's figures.

The four-week moving average also went down, decreasing by 8,500 to 290,250.

Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio. All Rights Reserved. (PHOTO: iStock/Thinkstock via ABC News)