Wall Street’s three major indexes marked record closing highs with modest gains on Thursday, largely thanks to support from the technology sector, while investors cautiously monitored private labor market data on the second day of a U.S. government shutdown.

The benchmark index rose very slightly, with its valuation already at its highest level since 2020, while the Nasdaq, up 0.4%, was the biggest gainer on the day, with help from heavyweight technology companies including AI chip leader Nvidia, Apple and Broadcom.

With no official government data available because of the shutdown, investors were monitoring information from other sources. A report from global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas said U.S. employers announced fewer layoffs in September but that hiring plans so

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