US futures off in light trading before jobs report
US stock futures down in light trading as markets await jobs report
FILE - In this Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012, file photo, specialist Michael O'mara, left, and trader Robert Moran work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, in New York. Stock markets were in a holding pattern ahead of a U.S. jobs report later Friday Dec. 7, 2012 that is expected to reflect a downturn in hiring following a massive storm but could also show that the American economy is otherwise bouncing back. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
NEW YORK (AP) -- U.S. stock futures are lower in light trading with most investors waiting on the sidelines until the Labor Department releases its employment figures for November.
Dow Jones industrial futures are down 12 points to 13,051. The broader S&P futures have lost 1.2 points to 1,411.80. Nasdaq futures are down 2.5 points to 2,651.50.
Job figures were likely skewed by Superstorm Sandy last month, so economists will be poring through the data to strip away the effects of that catastrophe to determine if job growth is still occurring.
Economists predict fewer than 100,000 jobs were added last month, and some say it was only half that. The unemployment rate is expected to be unchanged at 7.9 percent.
