US stocks end lower after mixed jobs report

Wall Street stocks finished slightly lower Thursday in choppy trade following a mixed US jobs report as investors awaited a key weekend referendum in the Greek debt crisis.

At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was at 17,725.27, down 32.64 points (0.18 percent).

The broad-based S&P 500 inched down 1.21 (0.06 percent) to 2,076.21, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index shed 5.14 (0.10 percent) at 5,007.98.

The US Labor Department reported that the US economy added a solid 223,000 jobs in June. However, the report also said hourly earnings were flat compared with May and cut the estimates for job growth in April and May.

Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at BMO Private Bank, said the report was "reasonably strong," but that investors are nervous over the rising likelihood that the Federal Reserve will hike interest rates in 2015.

Sunday's referendum in Greece will gauge support for reforms demanded by official creditors. European Union leaders warned the eurozone would be plunged into "unknown" territory unless a 'Yes' vote prevailed.