U.S. Stocks Open Higher After Jobs Data

The U.S. stock market opened slightly higher on Friday as investors digested a surprisingly strong jobs report that might force the Federal Reserve to hike interest rates sooner than expected. The U.S. economy added 321,000 jobs in November, while unemployment rate remained at 5.8%. With upward revisions to prior months, the payrolls number was far stronger than the consensus forecast by economists polled by MarketWatch, which called for 235,000 jobs. The S&P 500 opened 2 points, or 0.1%, higher at 2,074. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 42 points, or 0.2%, to 17,941 at the open. The Nasdaq Composite began the day up 8 points, or 0.2%, at 4,769.