U.S. stock indexes opened higher on Thursday after jobless data showed some signs of cooling in the labor market, easing worries over future interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 177 points, or 0.6%, to 33,055. The S&P 500 gained 0.7%, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.1%. Initial jobless claims rose by 9,000 to 225,000 in the week ended December 24, the U.S. Labor Department said Thursday. Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal had forecast 223,000 claims for the latest week.
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