Wall Street is pointing to a moderately higher open as the nation's unemployment rate rose in March but not as much as some investors had feared, according to AP. The U.S. unemployment rate jumped to 8.5 percent in March, its highest level since late 1983. Employers cut a net total of 663,000 jobs. Analysts had expected 654,000 jobs would be lost but many traders feared the number would come in well above 700,000. Stock futures had been mixed ahead of the report. Dow futures are up 42, or 0.5 percent, to 8,000. Standard & Poor's 500 index futures are up 2.60, or 0.3 percent, to 838.10, while Nasdaq 100 index futures are up 5.25, or 0.4 percent, to 1,306.75.
