Initial jobless claims in the US fell by 16,000 to 199,000 in the week ending December 27, a typically volatile period due to the holiday season, and well below market expectations of 220,000. The reading marked the lowest level since January, excluding the seasonally volatile Thanksgiving week, when claims briefly dipped to a three-year low of 192,000. Continuing claims also declined, falling to 1.89 million in the week ending December 20 from a downwardly revised 1.91 million in the prior period. Meanwhile, initial unemployment claims filed by federal employees, which have recently been under scrutiny due to the federal government shutdown, rose to 812 from 805 in the week ending December 13.