Stocks down on unemployment news

Published: Jan. 9, 2009 at 4:52 PM

NEW YORK, Jan. 9 (UPI) -- U.S. markets fell Friday after the U.S. Labor Department said the unemployment rate had jumped to 7.2 percent -- up from 6.8 percent -- in December.

Citigroup shares fell 5.73 percent after former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin said he would leave the firm.

By close, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 143.28 points, or 1.64 percent, to 8,599.18. The Standard & Poor's 500 fell 2.13 percent, 19.38 points, to 890.35. The Nasdaq composite index lost 45.42 points, 2.81 percent, to 1,571.59.

On the New York Stock Exchange 926 stocks advanced and 2,188 declined on a volume of 5.2 billion shares traded.

The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury bond rose 24/32 to yield 2.393 percent.

The dollar was mixed. The euro fell to $1.3453, compared to Thursday's $1.3726. Against the Japanese yen, the dollar fell to 90.37 yen from Thursday's 91.17 yen.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei average fell 39.62 points to 8,836.80, down 0.45 percent.

In London, the FTSE 100 index fell 1.26 percent, down 56.83 points to 4,448.54.

© 2009 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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