Stocks are rising in early trading after the government said employers added 103,000 jobs in September.
The Labor Department also said more jobs were added in earlier months than had been previously reported. The unemployment rate held steady at 9.1 percent for the third straight month.
Traders watch the employment report closely because it provides the first significant snapshot of the previous month’s economic performance. It offers clues to the broader outlook for the U.S. economy.
The Dow Jones industrial average is up 86 points, or 0.8 percent, at 11,207 in the first few minutes after the opening bell.
The S&P 500 index is up 5, or 0.4 percent, at 1,170. The Nasdaq composite index is up 1, or 0.1 percent at 2,508.
