Job Market Sends Mixed Signals: "Job Market Sends Mixed Signals
Thursday January 29, 4:14 pm ET
By Anna Willard and Kevin Plumberg
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Economic reports offered mixed readings on the health of the U.S. job market on Thursday, with claims for unemployment benefits edging downward while businesses remained nervous about hiring.

Economists are keeping a careful eye on employment-related data ahead of the Labor Department's report on January employment, due on Feb. 6.
'The declining trend of initial state jobless claims reinforces expectations of an eventual substantial upturn by payrolls employment,' said John Lonski, chief economist at Moody's Investors Service (News - Websites) in New York."