NEW YORK — The stock market struggled for direction Thursday morning as investors were torn between encouraging news about a decline in claims for unemployment benefits and discouraging signs that a budget impasse in Washington is far from being solved.

Major indexes dipped between small gains and losses in early trading.

Around 10 a.m. EST, the Dow Jones industrial average was down seven points at 13,104. The Standard & Poor's 500 was down a point at 1,418. The Nasdaq composite index was down less than a point at 2,987.