Stocks rise on strong jobs numbers
US stocks rise after the government posts better-than-expected jobs numbers
NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks rose Friday after the latest employment report showed that the country added 157,000 jobs in January, and that hiring for the past two years was better than thought.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 87 points to 13,947. The S&P 500 tacked on 5 points to 1,507. Nasdaq composite gained 20 points to 3,162.
But the unemployment rate climbed to 7.9 percent in January from 7.8 percent in December.
Earnings from U.S. corporations presented a mixed picture Friday.
Shares of Exxon Mobil are edging higher after the energy giant posted a 6 percent jump in fourth-quarter earnings. The drugmaker Merck & Co. saw generic competition cut into earnings. The stock fell.
