Stocks Lose Ground Despite Positive Jobs Reports
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Hemera/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — An encouraging weekly employment report didn’t do much to help the markets Thursday.
The Dow closed down 23 points to 12,920. The Nasdaq added four points to close at 2,980. The S&P closed at 1,370 with a four point loss for the session.
It’s still difficult to find a job, but there are some signs that that could be changing. The number of people filing first-time claims hit its lowest level since mid-May, and the new payroll report from ADP showed a rise in employment during June.
The June unemployment numbers come out on Friday.
Meanwhile, it’s a good time to buy a home if you can qualify for a mortgage. Freddie Mac says they’re down to new record lows. A thirty-year loan averages 3.62 percent. A 15-year mortgage is down to 2.89 percent.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio