By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, pointing to resilience in the labor market despite belt-tightening by Washington. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 23,000 to a seasonally adjusted 340,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday, pushing back below the 350,000 mark that economists normally associate with a firming job market. Economists polled by Reuters had expected first-time applications to fall to 345,000 last week. ...