Rates were little changed Thursday in quiet trading ahead of tomorrow’s key Employment Report for September. Investors remain more focused on the government shutdown than on newly released economic data. This morning, weekly Jobless Claims rose to 308,000, close to forecast. The Institute for Supply Management services index declined to 54.4, a bit more than expected. Readings above 50.0 indicate expansion in the services sector of the economy. A report on Factory Orders was delayed due to the shutdown. Freddie Mac reported that average 30-year fixed rates fell last week to 4.22% plus 0.7 “points”. No other key data will be released today.