Following the U.S. Commerce Department's release today of November 2005 factory orders, there are only three other major sets of economic data during this U.S. holiday-shortened week.
On Thursday, the U.S. Labor Department reports on initial claims for unemployment for the week ending Dec. 31, 2005. On Friday, the Labor Department will report on December employment. And on Friday the Institute for Supply Management releases data on non-manufacturing activity during December.