Eyes on jobs
Stock futures mixed in early trading ahead of March employment report; economists looking for slightly smaller gain in payrolls than seen in February.
April 7, 2006: 5:52 AM EDT
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Investors will be looking to the monthly jobs report to set the direction for stocks Friday. (divulgação ás 13:30)
Stock futures were mixed in early trading ahead of reading on labor market strength in March, with the comparison to fair value suggesting a flat to mixed open for makers.
Economists surveyed by Briefing.com forecast a gain of 190,000 jobs in the month, after a pickup up of 243,000 jobs in February. The range of estimates from economists surveyed by Reuters is from 150,000 to 250,000, although Treasury Secretary John Snow said Wednesday that the upcoming jobs data would be "good numbers." The unemployment rate is forecast to remain at 4.8 percent.