It's jobs day -- and that's just the main item on a full slate for investors on Thursday.
U.S. stock futures were rising while European markets were mixed as uncertainty about Greece kept investors cautious.
Here are the 5 things you need to know before the opening bell rings in New York:
1. Jobs report: The health of the U.S. economy takes center stage today. June employment and wage figures are due out at 8:30 a.m. ET, one day early thanks to the July 4 holiday.
A CNNMoney survey of economists forecast 235,000 jobs were added last month, bringing the unemployment rate to 5.4%.
But pay close attention to the wage figures. Average hourly wages are likely to hold pretty steady at 2.2%, well below the Federal Reserve's 3.5% target. The jobs report is key for the Fed in deciding whether or not to hike interest rates for the first time since the recession began.
Related: Why isn't the middle class earning $156,000 a year?
2. Greece groans: Just days before a referendum that is likely to decide the country's future in the eurozone, there are still plenty of surprises coming out of Greece.
European lenders were unmoved Wednesday by the Greek government's surprise bailout U-turn, saying they won't consider any proposals before Sunday's vote.
The International Monetary Fund confirmed that the bankrupt country remains locked out of more support until it pays $1.7 billion owed.
Watch: Christine Lagarde: IMF can no longer finance Greece
3. China stocks: Another day, another wild ride for Chinese stocks. The Shanghai Composite closed down 3.5%, while the smaller Shenzhen Index lost 5.6%. Investors in China are getting used to plenty of volatility, despite efforts by Beijing to stabilize the market.
Related: Good news for the 99%...absolutely killer news for the 1%
4. Earnings updates: Food maker McCormick (MKC) and Bassett Furniture (BSET) will release their latest quarterly earnings before the open. Family Dollar (FDO) will report after the close.
5. International markets: European markets were subdued in early trading, with Germany's little changed, after events in Greece prompted wild swings in the previous session. Greek worries are also troubling the Swedish central bank, which cut a key interest rate citing growing uncertainty over the indebted nation.
Asian markets were mixed. Japan's Nikkei closed up 0.9%, while Chinese stocks tumbled.
Related: Stocks rally despite mixed messages from Greece
On Wednesday, the Dow Jones industrial average gained 0.8%, while the S&P 500 added 0.7%, and the Nasdaq put on 0.5%.
