The Week Ahead: March 30-April 3

KEY EVENT: Delayed reaction. Wall Street usually responds quickly to the unemployment report, but not this week. While the Labor Department is scheduled to release its employment situation update as it typically does -- on the first Friday of the month -- financial markets are closed for Good Friday.

MONDAY: Personal income and spending from the Commerce Department and pending home sales from the National Association of Realtors, both for February. Earnings: Melville hardware and tools seller P&F Industries, Westbury medical device maker Vasomedical.

TUESDAY: The state Labor Department releases February unemployment rates for Nassau, Suffolk and Long Island as a whole. Also, January home prices from Case-Shiller.

WEDNESDAY: Carmakers post March auto sales. Also, payroll-provider ADP releases its estimate of private-sector jobs created in March and a manufacturing sector update from the Institute for Supply Management.

THURSDAY: Jobless benefits claims for the week ended March 28 from the U.S. Labor Department. Also, the Commerce Department posts February factory orders.

FRIDAY: Unemployment and jobs created in March from the U.S. Labor Department. Last month's report pegged the unemployment rate in February as the lowest in seven years.