NEW YORK (AP) — Stock futures are trading in a narrow range after a report showed first-time unemployment claims did not fall as low as expected last week.
The Labor Department says Thursday that first-time claims for jobless benefits dipped to 444,000 last week from a revised 448,000 the previous week. Economists had expected claims to drop to 440,000.
While a fourth straight weekly drop in claims is a positive sign, claims have not dropped far enough yet to signal sustainable job growth.
Dow Jones industrial average futures are up 9, or 0.1 percent, at 10,885. Standard & Poor’s 500 index futures are up 1.20, or 0.1 percent, at 1,170.90, while Nasdaq 100 index futures are up 2.00, or 0.1 percent, at 1,974.75.
