Strong Hiring Report Sends Stocks Higher

US stocks closed higher after the government reported a solid pickup in hiring in June, the AP reports. Technology and consumer-focused companies made some of the biggest gains Friday. Facebook rose 1.8% and Applied Materials rose 3.5%. McDonald's rose 2.1%. The positive sign for the job market came a day after a disappointing measure of hiring by private companies, which sent stocks to their biggest loss since mid-May. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 15 points, or 0.6%, to 2,425. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 94 points, or 0.4%, to 21,414. The Nasdaq composite increased 63 points, or 1%, to 6,153. (More stock market stories.)