OVERNIGHT MONEY: First Friday

Looking forward to tomorrow, 18 economists surveyed by CNNMoney expect the unemployment rate to hang steady at 8.9 percent when the new numbers are released at 8:30 a.m. 

Meanwhile, a private report that ADP unveiled Wednesday said the firm expects 201,000 jobs to have been added by private businesses in March, which would be a steady improvement for the labor market. And in a bit of a sneak preview of the numbers, the Labor Department reported Thursday that initial jobless claims fell 6,000 last week, to 388,000.

WHAT ELSE TO WATCH FOR:

The budget battle: The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote Friday on the “Government Shutdown Prevention Act.” 

The bill — which essentially says that if the Senate fails to act, the House-passed spending bill from February becomes law — is something of a stunt. (The Senate would also have to approve the bill, which would be quite the unforeseen development.)

But the measure does serve the purpose of having the House GOP unite behind their bill to cut $61 billion from 2011 spending levels — and will allow conservative freshmen to say the House is standing up for its principles, even as it prepares to compromise with the Senate on spending for the rest of the year.

Back for seconds: A House Financial Services subcommittee is slated to hold its second hearing on the National Flood Insurance Program, after previously exploring the issue three weeks ago. Republicans are hoping to revamp the program — currently almost $18 billion in debt — so it will be self-sufficient and impose less of a risk to taxpayers.

Aiming at AARP: A pair of House Ways and Means subcommittees are set to hold a Friday hearing featuring AARP’s top executive, after a trio of the committee’s Republicans this week questioned why the seniors lobby supported the healthcare overhaul and said they would ask the IRS to examine the organization’s tax-exempt status. (Our friends over at Healthwatch have more on the story.)

BREAKING THURSDAY:

Talking trade: In Geneva, the World Trade Organization officially released a finding that Boeing had received billions in illegal subsidies from the U.S., in the form of NASA and Pentagon contracts that provided the government with less than it compensated Boeing. The finding, which is expected to be appealed, runs parallel to a finding last year that Airbus had also received billions in illegal subsidies. 

The two cases were the largest the WTO had ever considered and have been seen as a test of its ability to discipline subsidies. The U.S. and the European Union may move to settle the dispute, and put in place a new code limiting EU launch aid loans and U.S. aerospace contracts.

The discount window: The New York Times recaps the Thursday release of a list shedding light on the Fed’s lending practices to banks during the height of the fiscal crisis. One bank borrowed as little as $1,000. Several banks the Fed lent to have since failed. And on one October day, the Fed helped out 60 separate banks, for as much as $26.5 billion. 

Moving on up…: The Dow had its best first quarter, at least statistically, in 12 years, the Associated Press reports. In all, the Dow rose 6.4 percent in the first three months of 2011. 

WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:

— House Republicans want to move first on a bigger housing bill targeting Fannie and Freddie.

— Eric Cantor to Senate Democrats: Rethink that tax revenue idea. 

— Fed official: Interest rate hike could be in the cards. 

— Jan Schakowsky: Whether it’s in their 2012 budget or not, the GOP wants to privatize Social Security.

— Christina Romer and 67 other budget experts call for grand bargain.

— The IRS commissioner says a government shutdown during tax season would be treading new ground.

— Ways and Means Democrats want more administration activity on trade enforcement. 

— House Republicans, Blue Dogs want to get rid of the estate tax — for good. 

— House Financial Services signals more to come on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 

— Feds spent almost $250 billion on housing subsidies in 2009.

— Consumer confidence inches up.