NEW YORK, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Wall Street retreated Wednesday as investors awaited September employment report that could signal the direction of U.S. interest rates.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 79.26, or 0.56 percent, to 13,968.05. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 7.02, or 0.45 percent, to 1,539.61, and the Nasdaq composite index fell 17.68, or 0.64 percent, to 2,729.43.

As the Fed cut its key lending rate by half a point on Sept. 18after a shock decline in August payrolls, investors looked for signs from the employment report due Friday for further cut.

On Wednesday, the Institute for Supply Management reported that the service sector expanded at a slower pace in September than in August. The trade group's non-manufacturing index fell to 54.8 from 55.8 in August as expected and the index is now at its lowest point since March.