A Good Day for US Stocks with Favorable Jobs Report

Spencer Platt/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- A good day for stocks after a better than expected jobs report.  
 
Investors were pleased with the numbers released Friday, which showed that unemployment fell to 8.3 percent in January -- its lowest level in three years.  

The Dow closed up 157 points, closing at 12,862 -- a three-year low for the index.  The S&P gained 19 points, and the Nasdaq added nearly 46 -- a level not seen since December 2000.   

The surge in hiring seemed to lift oil prices. Crude oil jumped to just under $98 a barrel.

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