JOBS

Stocks gained on Thursday as signs of improving trends in the job market and a decline in the U.S. October trade deficit reassured investors the economy was on a steady growth path.

Wall Street was poised to open higher on Thursday after new claims for jobless benefits rose more than expected but the number of people seeking extended benefits fell, and a separate report showed the U.S. trade deficit unexpectedly narrowed.

The Australian dollar surged on Thursday after November jobs growth blew away expectations, while Asian stocks posted small gains ahead of a slew of Chinese economic data on Friday expected to reflect robust growth.

Green jobs in California are growing at a faster pace than jobs overall in the environmentally friendly state, but they still account for only a tiny fraction of the economy, a study said on Tuesday.

U.S. President Barack Obama called on Wednesday for bipartisan cooperation to boost jobs and help small businesses through a series of initiatives that he has proposed to tackle double-digit unemployment.

DTE Energy Co said it will start a $600 million environmental construction project in the first quarter of 2010 at its Monroe, Michigan power plant, creating 900 jobs.

President Barack Obama, battling a public outcry over double-digit U.S. unemployment, on Tuesday will lay out several new steps to boost jobs and confront a challenge that has hurt his popularity.

British telecoms firm Daisy Group Plc posted a loss for the nine-month period and said it would cut jobs to integrate its acquired businesses but was comfortable with current market expectations.

President Barack Obama will lay out policy proposals to combat double-digit unemployment in a speech on Tuesday tackling an economic problem that has become a political drain on his young administration.

Shares of staffing companies soared on Friday after a government report showing U.S. employers cut far fewer jobs than expected last month heralded increased demand for the companies' services as the labor market improves.

The Obama administration can shift substantial resources from bank bailouts to job creation and will soon spell out the case for doing so, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Friday.

U.S. stocks advanced on Friday as data showed the economy shed far fewer jobs than expected last month, brightening the outlook for the economy and profits.

The dollar jumped against major currencies on Friday after data showed the United States lost far fewer jobs than expected last month, bolstering hopes the economy is on a stable path to recovery.

U.S. stocks rose on Friday as investors believed that data showing the economy shed far fewer jobs than expected last month has brightened the profit outlook.

U.S. stocks climbed on Friday after data showed the economy shed far fewer jobs than forecast last month and factory orders unexpectedly rose.

U.S. stocks futures pointed to a sharply higher open on Friday after the government said employers cut far fewer jobs than expected in November, signaling a strengthening labor market.

(Corrects month in 2nd paragraph to November, instead of December)

U.S. stocks jumped at the open on Friday, with all three major indexes up more than 1 percent, after the government said employers cut far fewer jobs than expected in November, signaling a strengthening labor market.

U.S. employers cut far fewer jobs than expected last month in the best showing for the labor market since the recession began, boosting the U.S. dollar and global stock prices on hopes for a strong economic recovery.

U.S. stock index futures were slightly higher on Friday ahead of the key monthly jobs report for November.

The dollar held steady against a basket of major currencies on Friday as investors waited for the U.S. government's monthly employment report to offer clues to the potential pace of tightening in U.S. monetary policy.