Stock futures are flat ahead of key April jobs report

Stock futures traded mostly flat Thursday as investors awaited Friday’s highly anticipated jobs report to assess the pace of the labor-market recovery.

Dow futures were down 18 points, while contracts tied to the S&P 500 ticked just above the flatline. Nasdaq 100 futures rose 0.1%.

The Labor Department is set to publish April’s jobs report at 8:30 a.m. ET on Friday. Economists polled by Dow Jones expect 1 million payrolls to have been added last month and the unemployment rate is expected to have fallen to 5.8% from 6%

April’s job report will carry extra importance as the Federal Reserve works to fulfill its pledge to keep its zero rates policy and other easing…