(CNBC) Stocks closed higher on Friday as the latest U.S. jobs report hit the sweet spot with Wall Street traders.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 372 points, or 1.4% to close at 26,573.75. The S&P 500 advanced 1.4% to 2,952.01. The Nasdaq Composite also gained 1.4% to close at 7,982.47. For the week, however, the Dow and S&P 500 posted a third straight decline. The Nasdaq rose about 0.5% week to date.
The U.S. economy added 136,000 jobs in September, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Friday. Economists polled by Dow Jones expected an increase of 145,000 jobs. However, the unemployment rate fell to 3.5%, a 50-year low.