U.S. Stocks Open Higher as the November Jobs Report Is Released

U.S. stocks opened higher Friday as November job growth was almost exactly as economists had predicted. The U.S. Labor Department said 211,000 jobs were added in November. Economists expected 200,000. The unemployment rate held steady from October at 5%. The number almost certainly guarantees an interest rate hike from the Federal Reserve Board when it meets next week. Meanwhile, Gap (GPS) still hasn't figured out how to attract shoppers. Sales were down more than expected in November. The sales slump was seen across the Gap Stores brands including Old Navy, Banana Republic and its namesake retail outlets. Motorola Solutions (MSI) agreed to buy Airwave Solutions, a U.K. communication services provider, for about $1.2 billion to help build out its software and services business outside of its home market of the United States.