08:02 AM EDT, 06/07/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US equity futures were little changed Friday as traders looked ahead to the pivotal monthly jobs report.

Dow Jones Industrial Average futures and S&P 500 futures were both flat, while Nasdaq futures gained 0.2%.

Oil prices were higher, with front-month global benchmark North Sea Brent crude up 0.6% at $80.35 per barrel and US West Texas Intermediate crude up 0.7% at $76.09 per barrel, following reports that Saudi Arabia and Russia expressed their readiness to pause or reverse oil production increases.

Nonfarm payrolls, scheduled for release at 8:30 am ET, are expected to increase by 182,000 in May versus a 175,000 gain in April, while the unemployment rate is seen unchanged at 3.9%, according to estimates compiled by Bloomberg.