Markets rise as US jobs beat expectations again

Equity markets have been given a boost by the latest monthly jobs figures from the US which show a further fall in the unemployment rate in November.

The number of jobless Americans fell from 7.9% to 7.7% on the month, the lowest level seen since the aftermath of the collapse of Lehman Brothers in December 2008. The US added 146,000 jobs in November, well above the consensus forecast of 85,000, the Bureau of Labour Statistics added. However, a large downwards revision to public sector employment in October meant overall gains in September and October were revised down by a collective 49,000. US markets opened higher on the news, the Dow Jones Industrial Average adding 0.5% to move to 13,134 and the S&P 500 rising 0.3% to 1,418. ...