Stocks Shrug Off Mixed Jobless Report

Stocks eked out modest gains on Friday after the government reported a sharp drop in the unemployment rate. The Labor Department said the unemployment rate dropped to 9 percent in January, the lowest rate since April 2009 and a sharp fall from 9.4 percent in December. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 29.89 points, or 0.3 percent, to close at 12,092.15. The Dow gained 2.3 percent for the ...