U.S. stock futures quickly tumbled after the government said U.S. employers added a stronger-than-expected 256,000 jobs in December. Economists were expecting hiring to increase by 153,000. Futures for the S&P 500 fell 0.

The moves come as Wall Street is gearing up for December's nonfarm payrolls reading, which is scheduled to come out at 8:30 a.m. ET on Friday. Economists polled by Dow Jones expect to see an increase of 155,000, less than the gain of 227,000 in November's reading. Additionally, the unemployment rate is projected to remain at 4.2%.

Asian markets were mostly lower on Wednesday after shares slumped on Wall Street despite better-than-expected reports on the U.S. jobs market and business activity. U.S. futures and oil prices were higher.