New York, Feb 24 (IANS): US stocks jumped Thursday after government report showed that the jobs market was steadily improving.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 46.02 points, or 0.36 percent, at 12,984.69. The Standard & Poor's 500 added 5.80 points, or 0.43 percent, to 1,363.46. The Nasdaq Composite Index jumped 23. 81 points, or 0.81 percent, to 2,956.98, Xinhua reported.

Major indexes got a lift after the Labor Department said the number of people applying for jobless benefits was unchanged last week at 351,000, the lowest level since March 2008.

Meanwhile, the four-week average of initial claims, which smoothes week-to-week fluctuations, dropped for the sixth straight week to 359,000, also the lowest level in four years.

The broader Standard & Poor's 500 was standing above the closely watched 1,360 level, a 10-month high seen as a key resistance point.

However, Hewlett-Packard plunged about 6.5 percent after the world's biggest computer maker posted a sharp decline in earnings and painted a dismal picture of its outlook, which kept a lid on the Dow and the S&P 500.