Dow futures with weekly jobless claims coming in

With weekly jobless claims coming in below expectations, Dow futures ticked higher, signaling renewed faith in labor market strength. Economists warn that sustained tightness could prolong restrictive monetary policy. The S&P 500 rose 0.4% to close out its fifth straight winning month after setting a record last week . The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 81 points, or 0.2%, to set its own all-time high, and the Nasdaq composite ticked 0.3% higher. Markets have so far been unperturbed by the US government shutdown, which looks set to drag on at least until the end of the week. President Trump is amping up his rhetoric against Democrats, threatening to fire "thousands" of federal workers and canceling billions of dollars in federal funding to blue states. Before market open, Dow futures trade marginally higher, driven by optimism in transport and industrial sectors. Rising freight demand is seen as an early economic expansion signal.