U.S. adds 157,000 jobs as unemployment rises

MARKETWATCH FRONT PAGE

Nonfarm payrolls expand a modest 157,000 jobs in January, but investors are cheered by upward revisions for employment growth in November and December. See full story.

Home improvement gets a makeover

Even as remodeling rebounds, consumers are looking for ways to save. Today, the average for bigger projects runs about $100,000 to $150,000 � and many people are spending far less. Four trends that are reshaping remodeling. See full story.

Construction spending ends 2012 on high note

Construction spending jumped in December to wrap up a seven-year high as the housing market continued its recovery, the government reported Friday. See full story.

Consumer sentiment rises in January

A gauge of consumer sentiment rises in January more than Wall Street had expected, but overall levels remain relatively low with respondents concerned over higher payroll taxes, according to University of Michigan-Thomson Reuters data. See full story.

Dow passes 14,000 after jobs report, overseas data

U.S. stocks on Friday start a new month with strong gains after the January nonfarm payrolls report bolsters thinking that the lackluster recovery remains on track. See full story.

MARKETWATCH PERSONAL FINANCE

Of all the silliness and hype that surrounds the Super Bowl, few things could be more ridiculous than trying to use various �indicators� and �predictors� to tie two completely unrelated things together. It makes for fun conversation, but horrible investing. And while few people truly value the Super Bowl as an investment indicator, the truth is that plenty of people invest based on data and patterns and theories that are every bit as flimsy and dangerous, but less patently ridiculous. See full story.