TOKYO (AP) — International stock markets were mostly higher today ahead of a U.S. employment report, cheered by a record close on Wall Street and talk of further stimulus from the European Central Bank. Futures point to a higher opening on Wall Street. The dollar gained against the euro and the yen. Benchmark U.S. crude oil was up slightly, to near $78 a barrel.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Labor Department releases the October unemployment rate later today. Government leaders, economists and traders will all be watching to see if the relatively strong recent hiring trend continued as the country moved fully into the autumn season. In September, robust hiring brought the jobless rate down to 5.9 percent, the lowest it has been in six years.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite voter concerns about the economy expressed in exit polls on Tuesday, the government employment data due out today is expected to include another strong monthly job gain. Economists surveyed by FactSet think 230,000 jobs were added in October. That would be in line with this year’s average monthly gain. The unemployment rate is forecast to remain at a six-year low of 5.9 percent.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The association representing shippers is accusing West Coast dockworkers of slowing things down to gain bargaining leverage. That’s increasingly giving importers fits getting products to market, threatening the on-time delivery of some holiday goods. A union spokesman says cargo flow is gummed up for several, industry-caused reasons that predate the recent labor issues, though he’s not denying a slowdown.
DETROIT (AP) — Honda is adding hundreds of thousands of vehicles to a previously announced recall for passenger air bags that can explode with too much force and send shards of metal into the passenger compartment. The vehicles have air bag systems made by troubled parts supplier Takata Corp. and include older versions of the company’s three most popular models, the Accord, Civic and CR-V.
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