The Labor Department says new claims for jobless benefits fell to 521,000 last week. Economists polled by Thomson Reuters had been expecting claims to fall to 540,000.
Aluminum company Alcoa Inc. surprised investors after the market closed Wednesday by reporting its first profit in nine months.
Dow Jones industrial average futures are up 79, or 0.8 percent, at 9,752. Standard & Poor's 500 index futures are up 10.90, or 1 percent, at 1,064.50, while Nasdaq 100 index futures are up 16.00, or 0.9 percent, at 1,724.00.
New jobless claims rise unexpectedly to 558,000Real Estate Outlook: Mortgage Rate Dip Impacts Housing
