US stocks are fluctuating in a narrow range after traders received one mixed report on the jobs market and await a second later this week.
The Labor Department says initial claims for unemployment benefits fell slightly last week, but remain well above levels that are considered a sign of a healthy economy. That report overnight comes just a day before the department releases its monthly employment data.
Traders are hesitant to make any big moves and extend yesterday's big rally before the monthly report, which is expected to show the unemployment rate has inched higher.
The Dow Jones industrial average is up 9, or 0.1 per cent, at 10,278. The S&P 500 is up 1, or 0.1 per cent, at 1082, while the Nasdaq composite is up less than 1 at 2177.
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US stocks edge higher on jobs dataHomeowners favor short-term loans
