Jobless Claims And Factory Orders Scheduled For Release Thursday - Economic Preview, Wednesday, August 01, 2007 4:45:06 PM

After yet another day of mixed economic reports, investors are more confused than ever. Their uncertainty is clearly reflected in the market, which has become increasingly volatile. Though most attention is still focused on Friday`s employment data, a handful of economic reports scheduled for release Thursday should have capture investors interest.

First, at 8:30 am ET jobless claims for the week will be made public. Unemployment claims are compiled weekly and monitor the number of individuals who filed for unemployment insurance for the first time. For investors, jobless claims are a simple way to show the strength of the job market. Fewer claims mean a stronger job market, and vice-versa.

Jobless claims fell by 2,000 for the week of July 21 to 301,000. For the week of July 28th analysts predict a slight increase in claims, up to 310,000.

At 10:00 am ET data on Factory Orders for June will be released. They represent the dollar level of new orders for both durable and nondurable goods. Investors pay close attention to this report, as it is a good indicator of the condition of the manufacturing sector. For June, economists predict a 1 percent increase in orders. Orders fell a one half of a percent in May, led by a 2.8 percent drop in durable goods orders. Nondurables, however, performed well posting a 1.6 percent gain. Durable goods orders recently posted gains for June, leading analysts to expect an increase in factory orders.

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