The unemployment rate dropped from 4.9 percent to 4.7 percent, the lowest since July 2001. The Labor Department report suggested companies are feeling better about the economy's prospects, as well as their own, and thus are more inclined to hire.

For the first time in 18 years, annual sales at Wendy's hamburger restaurants open more than a year fell in 2005 — partly because of fallout from a woman who planted a human finger in a bowl of chili, a story that took a few weeks to discredit. Shares fell 22 cents to close at $58.17.

Maytag, reporting a bigger loss for the fourth quarter, said it is seeking permission from its prospective buyer, Whirlpool, to sell its Hoover floor care and vending machine business. Shares closed down 51 cents at $17.51.

Northwest Airlines pilots have given their union leader authority to conduct a strike ballot if there is no progress in negotiations over wage and benefit cuts the airline is seeking, the union head told a New York bankruptcy court.

Shares sank $4.41 to close at $38.33 after the Internet retailer disappointed investors with a fourth-quarter earnings report that missed Wall Street's revenue expectations and showed the company continues to make heavy investments in areas such as technology and marketing.

Tyson Foods, the world's largest meat producer, plans to spend up to $650 million on capital expenditures and look into overseas acquisitions, despite a slip in earnings. Shares fell 11 cents to $14.30.

Weyerhaeuser posted a steep fourth-quarter loss on hefty charges, as company executives conceded the forest products giant is grappling with difficult business conditions and big industry changes. Shares gained 25 cents to close at $67.50.

Swedish truck and bus maker AB Volvo said its fourth-quarter profit fell 15 percent to 2.99 billion kronor ($388 million) as higher costs for product launches offset rising sales. Shares fell 8.7 percent.

The nation's third-largest carrier is replacing its independent auditor with another firm, a decision that is subject to bankruptcy court approval.

Truck and bus maker Navistar International Corp. said some creditors have accused it of violating financial reporting requirements by failing to file its annual report on time. Shares fell 66 cents to $27.13.

The number of deaths of drivers in cars caught in side-impact crashes with SUVs dropped nearly 50 percent when automakers lowered the height of SUVs or added impact-absorbing bars below the front bumpers, said a report by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

President Bush chose telecommunications attorney and lobbyist Robert McDowell to take an open seat at the Federal Communications Commission, a move that would restore the agency's 3-2 GOP majority.

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