Payroll processor ADP released a report on Wednesday showing private sector employment in the U.S. increased by slightly less than expected in the month of June.
ADP said private sector employment climbed by 150,000 jobs in June after rising by an upwardly revised 157,000 jobs in May.
Economists had expected private sector employment to increase by 160,000 jobs compared to the addition of 152,000 jobs originally reported for the previous month.
“Job growth has been solid, but not broad-based,” said ADP chief economist Nela Richardson. “Had it not been for a rebound in hiring in leisure and hospitality, June would have been a downbeat month.”
With the more closely watched monthly jobs report looming, the Labor Department released a report on Wednesday showing a modest increase by first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits in the week ended June 29th.
The report said initial jobless claims rose to 238,000, an increase of 4,000 from the previous week’s revised level of 234,000.
Economists had expected jobless claims to inch up to 235,000 from the 233,000 originally reported for the previous week.
The Labor Department said the less volatile four-week moving average also crept up to 238,500, an increase of 2,250 from the previous week’s revised average of 236,250.
U.S. Trade Deficit Widened Less Than Expected
A separate report released by the Commerce Department on Wednesday showed the U.S. trade deficit widened less than expected in the month of May.
The Commerce Department said the trade deficit rose to $75.1 billion in May from a revised $74.5 billion in April.
Economists had expected the trade deficit to increase to $76.2 billion from the $74.6 billion originally reported for the previous month.
The wider trade deficit came as the value of imports fell by 0.3 percent to $336.7 billion, while the value of exports slid by 0.7 percent to $261.7 billion.
At 10 am ET, the Institute for Supply Management is scheduled to release its report on service sector activity in the month of June.
The ISM’s services PMI is expected to slip to 52.5 in June from 53.8 in May, but a reading above 50 would still indicate growth.
The Commerce Department is also due to release its report on factory orders in the month of May at 10 am ET. Factory orders are expected to rise by 0.2 percent in May after climbing by 0.7 percent in April.
At 10:30 am ET, the Energy Information Administration is due to release its report on oil inventories in the week ended June 28th.
Crude oil inventories are expected to edge down by 0.2 million barrels after jumping by 3.6 million barrels in the previous week.
The Treasury Department is scheduled to announce the details of this month’s auction of three-year and ten-year notes and thirty-year bonds at 11 am ET.
At 2 pm ET, the Federal Reserve is scheduled to release the minutes of its latest monetary policy meeting, when the central bank once again left interest rates unchanged.