US STOCKS-Futures slip after rally; jobless claims data due

* Jobless claims, manufacturing data on tap

* Obama sets jobs speech one day later after GOP protest

* Futures down: S&P 2.7 pts, Dow 50 pts, Nasdaq 4.75 pts

* For up-to-the-minute market news see [STXNEWS/US]

NEW YORK, Sept 1 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures fell
on Thursday following strong gains over the past several
sessions as investors awaited labor and manufacturing data for
clues on the state of the economy.

* The Labor Department releases first-time weekly jobless
claims at 8:30 a.m. EDT. (1230 GMT) Economists forecast a total
of 410,000 new filings, compared with 417,000 in the prior
week.

* At 10:00 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT), the Institute for Supply
Management releases its August manufacturing index. Economists
look for a reading of 48.5 versus 50.9 in July.

* The data may affect the outcome of a meeting next week by
the U.S. Federal Reserve and comes ahead of the highly
anticipated U.S. nonfarm payrolls report for August due
Friday.

* S&P 500 futures SPc1 lost 2.7 points and were below
fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into
account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the
contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures DJc1 fell 50
points, and Nasdaq 100 futures NDc1 dropped 4.75 points.

* Data on revised second-quarter productivity and unit
labor costs will be announced at 8:30 a.m. EDT. (1230 GMT)
Economists forecast productivity to drop 0.5 percent, versus a
0.3 percent fall in the preliminary report. Unit labor costs
were expected to rise 2.4 percent, compared with a 2.2 percent
increase in the preliminary report.

* July construction spending data is due at 10:00 a.m. EDT.
(1400 GMT) Economists see a rise of 0.2 percent.

* International Business Machines Corp (IBM.N) is buying
Toronto-based risk analytics software firm Algorithmics for
$387 million to enhance its financial services capabilities.
For details, see [ID:nL5E7K10DX]

* U.S. President Barack Obama agreed to move the date of
his speech on a new jobs plan to Sept. 8, bowing to pressure
from Republicans who plan a televised debate of presidential
candidates on Sept. 7. [ID:nN1E77U1KG]

* Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) and two other companies
agreed with the New York banking regulator to end robo-signing,
in which bank employees sign foreclosure documents without
reviewing case files as required by law, the Wall Street
Journal said.

* Slumping export demand slowed factory activity in some of
Asia's biggest economies in August, although China fared better
due to solid domestic growth, surveys showed on Thursday.
[ID:nL4E7K10CA]

* Resource-related stocks will be in focus as U.S. crude
oil CLc1 fell 0.5 percent and key base metals prices were
down as much as 2.3 percent.

* U.S. stocks closed out the worst month in more than a
year on an upbeat note Wednesday.
(Reporting by Angela Moon; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)