Stock Futures Hold Ground After Jobs Report

Updated from 7:03 a.m. EST

NEW YORK -- Stock futures in New York had a muted reaction immediately following the government's latest employment data, as investors began to sort through what the loss of another half-million jobs would mean for an economy that's been in a recession for more than year.

Futures on the S&P 500 were about a point better than fair value, while Nasdaq 100 futures were 5 points below fair value.

Earlier, futures had been a bit weaker ahead of the jobs data. According to the Labor Department, the U.S. lost 524,000 jobs in December, right in line with estimates. The unemployment rate, however, was worse than expected, rising to 7.2%. ...