New York, Dec 17 (DPA) US stocks were pushed to two-year highs Thursday amid promising employment data and signs of improvement in the housing and manufacturing sectors.

Weekly claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose only slightly, the Labour Department reported, despite the US unemployment rate climbing to 9.8 percent in November.

New construction in the fragile housing sector climbed 3.9 percent in November from the previous month, while figures showed economic activity in the heavy-manufacturing regions around the city of Philadelphia increasing at its fastest rate in five years.

The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 41.78 points, or 0.36 percent, to 11,499.25. The broader S&P 500 climbed 7.64 points, or 0.62 percent, to 1,242.87. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index was up 20.09 points, or 0.77 percent, to 2,637.31.

The US currency edged lower against the euro to 75.52 euro cents from 75.66 euro cents Wednesday, as European leaders debated making permanent a bailout fund to keep the eurozone from collapsing. The dollar slipped against the Japanese currency to 84.03 yen from 84.25 yen.