Stocks fluctuated again in New York yesterday, eventually closing higher after the latest employment data allowed investors to believe that the extremely tight job market might actually be easing a bit.

The Dow Jones rose in early trading but fell just as abruptly in response to the July employment figures. A buying spree late in the session allowed blue-chip stocks to close up 61.17, or 0.6 per cent, at 10,767.75.

The Nasdaq closed up 27.48, or 0.7 per cent, at 3,787.36, slipping from a gain of more than 70 points earlier in the session. The technology-heavy index also swung wildly on Thursday. The Standard and Poor's 500 index was up 10.37, or 0.7 per cent, at 1,462.93. The Russell 2000 index was up 3.39 at 502.84.

Analysts attributed the volatility to indecisive investors who don't know what to make of conflicting economic signals.