On WednesdayThe Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 234 points, or 0.6%, to 38,763, the S&P 500 fell 41 points, or 0.77%, to 5,200 and the Nasdaq Composite lost 171 points, or 1.05%, to 16,196.

Futures point to a cautious start to trading early Thursday when the bell rings on Wall Street to close trading.

A mixed session in Asia, which included a 0.7% decline for the Nikkei 225 in Tokyo due to renewed strengthening of the Japanese yen and general declines on European stock markets, added to the cautious mood.

The CBOE VIX index, a gauge of the expected volatility of the S&P 500, remains at around 28, still well above its long-term average of around 20.

“Volatility in the markets remains above average and it is still unclear to what extent investors and traders will need to change their portfolios,” Saxo analysts said in a morning note.

“To give markets the next jolt, we need a big negative surprise for the economy and today’s initial jobless claims could be just such a macro report,” Saxo added.

Here are some potential market catalysts for traders to consider on Thursday, including unemployment numbers: