Major business events and economic events scheduled for Thursday:

WASHINGTON — Labor Department releases weekly jobless claims, 8:30 a.m. Eastern.

WASHINGTON — Freddie Mac, the mortgage company, releases weekly mortgage rates, 10 a.m.

WASHINGTON — Joint Economic Committee hearing on the "fiscal cliff."

H&R Block Inc. reports quarterly financial results.

FRANKFURT, Germany — European Central Bank's governing council meets to set interest rates for the eurozone.

BERLIN — Germany releases industrial orders figures for October.