Dow futures rise over 150 points in abbreviated Good Friday session as U.S. adds 916,000 in March and unemployment rate falls to 6%

U.S. stock-index futures traded higher Friday morning after a blockbuster March jobs report, though cash trading in equities – and most other markets – are closed due to the Good Friday. The U.S. added 916,000 in March and the unemployment rate fell to 6% from 6.2%. Job growth was widespread in March, led by gains in leisure and
hospitality, public and private education, and construction, the Labor Department report indicated. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average YM00, +0.46% YMM21, +0.46% rose to 153 points, or 0.5%, at 33,190, those for the S&P 500 ES00, +0.43% ESM21, +0.43% added 0.4% at 4,027, set to extend a record climb for the index when markets reopen on Monday, while Nasdaq-100 futures NQ00, +0.21% [s:NQM21] advanced 0.2% to reach 13,344. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal, on average, estimated the report will show 675,000 new jobs were created in March, with some economists looking for the figure to top 1 million. Due to the Good Friday holiday stock-market futures closed at 9:15 a.m. Eastern Time and the rest of the market is closed.

View Article Origin Here