Dollar falls, bonds jump after disappointing U.S. hiring

NEW YORK (AP) - U.S. government bond prices jumped and the dollar dipped on Friday following news that U.S. employers added the fewest jobs in a month since December 2013. The stock market was closed in observance of Good Friday.

Traders saw the weaker-than-expected job gains in March as a sign that the Federal Reserve might delay raising interest rates. The rise in bond prices sent the yield on the 10-year Treasury to its lowest level in two months. Futures contracts on the stock market also fell.

In a holiday-shortened trading session, the U.S. bond market finished at noon Eastern time. Major European stock markets were closed, while Asian market finished mostly higher.

KEEPING SCORE: The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.84 percent. That was down from 1.91 percent late Thursday. Standard & Poor's 500 index futures fell 20 points, or 1 percent. The dollar fell nearly 1 percent against the euro.

In Asia, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 gained 0.6 percent. Seoul's Kospi rose 0.8 percent, while the Shanghai Composite added 1 percent. Markets were closed for holidays in Germany, France, Britain, Hong Kong, India, Australia and in several Southeast Asian countries.

U.S. JOBS: U.S. employers added the fewest workers to their payrolls since December 2013 - just 126,000 - in March. That ended 12 straight months of gains above 200,000. Even so, the unemployment rate remained at 5.5 percent, according to the Labor Department.