New report says job loss slowing, but not fast

A payroll company's labor market report indicated job losses are slowing, but not as fast as some analysts had expected. Later Wednesday, a private trade group reports on activity in the service sector last month with economists expecting modest growth.

The Labor Department's report on December employment is set for Friday.

The Dow Jones industrial average is down 3.10, or less than 0.1 percent, at 10,568.92. The Standard & Poor's 500 index is down 1.26, or 0.1 percent, at 1,135.26, while the Nasdaq composite index is up 0.96, or less than 0.1 percent, at 2,309.67.