U.S. stocks trade higher on strong jobs report

NEW YORK, June 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks traded higher on Friday as investor sentiment was lifted by a strong jobs report.

At midday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 183.46 points, or 0.75 percent, to 24,599.30. The S&P 500 was up 25.13 points, or 0.93 percent, to 2,730.40. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased 93.96 points, or 1.26 percent, to 7,536.08.

U.S. total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 223,000 in May, much higher than economists' estimate of 188,000, and the unemployment rate edged down to 3.8 percent, the Labor Department said Friday.

Employment continued to trend up in several industries, including retail trade, health care and construction.

In May, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 8 cents to 26.92 U.S. dollars. Over the year, average hourly earnings have increased by 71 cents, or 2.7 percent, according to the department.

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in May, and the overall economy grew for the 109th consecutive month, according to the latest report released by the Institute for Supply Management (ISM).

The manufacturing index, also known as the purchasing managers' index (PMI), registered 58.7 percent, an increase of 1.4 percentage points from the April reading of 57.3 percent.

A reading above 50 for the index indicates expansion in the manufacturing sector, and a reading below 50 signals contraction. Enditem