Whether or not the U.S. economy falls over the fiscal cliff at the start of 2013, next week's batch of economic reports will bring new looks at business activity and the all-important labor market.

The employment report, scheduled for Friday, is expected to show almost no pick-up in December hiring, according to economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires. The median forecast expects nonfarm payrolls increased by 150,000 this month, nearly flat with the 146,000 new jobs created in November.

The...