NEW YORK (AP) -- U.S. stocks headed for a higher open Thursday after the government reported that the nation's unemployment rate held steady at 5.5 percent last month, as expected.The Labor Department said employers cut 62,000 jobs in June. Economists predicted the number of jobs would fall by around 60,000, but investors appeared somewhat relieved that the losses weren't steeper.
Employment numbers are critical because consumers who are out of work or are nervous about losing their job are likely to cut their spending. They've already become very cautious because of higher food and energy prices.
Dow Jones industrial average futures are up 44, or 0.39 percent, to 11,255 after having been essentially flat ahead of the report. Standard & Poor's 500 index futures rose 7.70, or 0.61 percent, to 1,270.40, while Nasdaq 100 index futures rose 6.00, or 0.33 percent, to 1,831.00.
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