Most U.S. stocks fell following a mixed round of data on the economy, keeping them on track for their worst week since April.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.3 percent Thursday for a third straight drop, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.5 percent. The Nasdaq composite held up better than the rest of the market and rose 0.3 percent thanks to gains for Tesla and a handful of other Big Tech stocks.

Treasury yields eased a bit ahead of a highly anticipated report on Friday. That's when the U.S. government will release its latest update on the job market.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 219.22 points, or 0.5 percent, to 40,755.75.

The Nasdaq composite rose 43.36 points, or 0.3 percent, to 17,127.66.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 13.16 points, or 0.6 percent, to 2,132.05.