Futures turned negative again in choppy pre-market trading Thursday as grim comments from ECB President Mario Draghi weighed on sentiment and even trumped a pair of better-than-expected employment reports.
"Economic growth in the euro area continues to remain weak, with heightened uncertainty weighing on confidence and sentiment," European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said at a news conference, adding the euro zone economy was subject to downside risks.
Earlier, the ECB slashed its interest rateto a record low of 0.75 percent and its deposit rate to zero in an effort to help tackle the ongoing euro zone crisis. European shares pared their gains.
And China's central bank also cut its interest rates for the second time in two months.
On the economic front, private employers added 176,000 jobs in June, according to the ADP National Employment Report, beating expectations for a gain of 105,000 positions. May's figures were revised up slightly to an increase of 136,000 jobs from the previously reported 133,000.
In addition, weekly jobless claims dropped 14,000 to a seasonally adjusted 374,000, according to the Labor Department, marking the biggest decline since April. Economists expected claims falling to 385,000, according to a Reuters poll. The four-week moving average for new claims fell 1,500 to 385,750.
Both reports come ahead of the key government non-farm payroll report on Friday. Economists surveyed by Reuters expect to see a gain of 90,000 in June following an increase of 69,000 in the month prior.