Dow jumps 208 following surge in hiring last month

NEW YORK (AP) -- A surge in hiring last month sent U.S. stocks soaring Friday.<br /> <br /> The Dow Jones industrial average jumped 208 points, or 1.2 percent, to 17,009.<br /> <br /> The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 21 points, or 1.1 percent, to 1,967. The Nasdaq composite rose 45 points, or 1 percent, to 4,475.<br /> <br /> The gains nearly wiped out the market's losses for the week.<br /> <br /> The government reported that employers added 248,000 jobs in September. The unemployment rate fell to 5.9 percent, the lowest since July 2008.<br /> <br /> The dollar surged against other currencies as traders anticipated higher U.S. interest rates and economic growth. Prices for gold and U.S. government bonds fell for the same reason.<br /> <br /> Gold fell 1.8 percent to $1,192 an ounce. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.44 percent.