DOW JONES

The U.S. economy unexpectedly added 117,000 jobs in July and the unemployment rate dipped to 9.1 percent, the U.S. Labor Department announced Thursday. Equally significant, the private sector added 154,000 jobs. The report was a pleasant surprise, but the nation is still in a deep hole job-wise -- short about 14 million jobs.

Markets remained jittery Friday even as Dow futures rose ahead of a jobs report that was slightly better than expected.

U.S. stock index futures point to a lower opening on Friday as investors are cautious ahead of key U.S. monthly non-farm payrolls and unemployment data from the government.

The U.S. stock market had a mini-meltdown on Thursday ahead of Friday's all-important Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) jobs report as fears about the global economy slipping into another recession weighed on the sentiment.

Investors fled U.S. stocks and dumped commodities on Thursday, rushing to the safety of government bonds on growing fears the global economy was weakening.

Fears of a new recession caused the stock market to take a deep plunge on Thursday making it the worst day since the financial crisis in 2008. The Dow Jones industrial average declined 512.76 points, or 4.13 percent, closing at 11, 383.68.

Investors fled Wall Street in the worst stock-market selloff since the middle of the financial crisis in early 2009 in what has turned into a full-fledged correction.The Dow and the S&P tumbled more than 4 percent on Thursday and the Nasdaq lost 5 percent on fear the United States is staring at another recession and that Europe's sovereign debt crisis is swallowing two of its largest economies.

?The damage this week is more than last week ? translation, more damage from economic fears than debt fears.?

U.S. stocks plummeted Thursday, following a similarly huge sell-off in Europe, on growing fears that the global economy is sinking into a recession, ahead of worries about tomorrow?s July jobs report.

The Dow is plunging, as stocks are coming back to the woes that Main Street has grappled with since the recession. Stocks had soared this year while Main Street America grappled with slow growth and high unemployment.

The U.S. sell-off follows even greater declines in Europe.

Apple Inc. is being aggressive defending its own IP with well publicized suits against Samsung and HTC, Barclays Capital said. Key companies in the wireless arena including Apple and Google continue to acquire and invest in IP to cement their positions.

Stocks fell on Wednesday, and the S&P 500 hit a new low for the year as the latest data triggered more pessimism about the economy's outlook.

Major stock indexes around the world lost all of their gains on the year and gold hit a record on Tuesday after a deal to raise the U.S. debt ceiling gave no comfort to investors preoccupied with sluggish global growth.

The S&P 500 turned negative for the year on Tuesday as the wrangling over the U.S. debt ceiling faded and investors turned their attention to the stalling economy.

Stocks dropped on Tuesday as worries about the health of the global economy and a possible downgrade for U.S. debt sent the S&P 500 crashing through key technical levels in an ominous sign for markets.

Wall Street fell for a sixth day on Monday on renewed angst about Washington's ability to reach a deal on raising the U.S. debt ceiling and following disappointing news from the manufacturing sector.

Stocks fell a sixth day on Monday as weaker-than-expected U.S. manufacturing data and uncertainty over the debt deal in Washington kept the mood skittish on Wall Street.

Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, said the dollar may weaken if the U.S. Congress fails to raise the U.S. debt ceiling.

Wall Street skidded on Wednesday as troubling signs from U.S. corporations and falling demand for long-lasting manufactured goods discouraged investors already nervous about faltering debt talks in Washington.

Analysts expect Boeing Co (BA.N) to report a narrowed quarterly profit on Wednesday, but Wall Street will be looking for executive comments on its high-profile commercial airplane programs.