LUG:CC - Futures Slip as Investors Ponder Jobs Picture

Stock futures were mixed Thursday as investors considered what the latest data suggested about the health of the broader economy.

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrials took on 30 points, or 0.1%, at 33,686.

Futures for the S&P 500 were in the green 2.75 points, or 0.1%, to 4,120.

Futures for the NASDAQ Composite subsided 19.5 points, or 0.2%, to 13,060.25.

Those moves come as investors digest new data that shows signs of a potentially weakening labor market. The ADP private payrolls report released Wednesday showed job growth slowed in March. Meanwhile, a Tuesday report showed that the number of available positions fell below 10 million in February — a first in almost two years.

Over the past several months, investors had cheered signs of economic cooling on the hope that it could push the Federal Reserve to change course on its interest rate hiking campaign. But they are now wondering if the central bank has gone too far in its bid to cool inflation, tightening the economy to the point of an economic slowdown or recession.

Investors will watch Thursday for jobless claims data for more insights into the strength of the labour market. St. Louis Fed President James Bullard is also slated to speak in the morning in Arkansas.

Thursday will cap off a shortened trading week with the market closed for Good Friday. But investors will still follow Friday's data on non-farm payrolls, the unemployment rate and hourly wages.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 was down 1.2% Thursday, while in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng returned from holiday with a gain of 0.3%.

Oil prices eked up eight cents to $80.69 U.S. a barrel.

Gold prices dipped 80 cents to $2,034.80 U.S. an ounce.