U.S. stock index futures pointed to a flat open on Friday as investors digested weaker-than-expected employment data.
The U.S. economy added 156,000 jobs in December, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Economists polled by Reuters expected an increase of 178,000. The unemployment rate came in at 4.7 percent, in line with expectations.
The final report of 2016 comes as the U.S. prepares for what could be a significant shift ahead. President-elect Donald Trump has promised aggressive fiscal measures including tax cuts and higher domestic spending to pull the economy out of the steady but below-trend gains it has seen during Barack Obama’s eight years as president.
U.S. equities closed mostly lower on Thursday, as as uncertainty over some of Trump’s policies gave investors pause.
Elsewhere on the data front, factory orders are scheduled for release at 10 a.m. ET.
In Europe, the pan-European Stoxx-600 index was around 0.3 percent lower on Friday.
In Asia, Japanese car makers were under pressure during Friday’s trading after President-elect Trump took to Twitter to rebuke Toyota and its plans for a new car plant in Mexico.
Source: CNBC
