NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - U.S. stocks slipped at the open Friday as weak monthly employment and personal spending reports added weight to a slew of negative economic news earlier in the week.

Around 9:35 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones industrial average (down 74.21 to 8322.82, Charts), Nasdaq composite (down 14.52 to 1315.23, Charts) and Standard & Poor's 500 index (down 7.36 to 878.40, Charts) all headed lower, coming off their first month of gains since March.

Before the markets opened, the Labor Department said the unemployment rate jumped up to 5.7 percent from 5.6 percent in September, a slightly narrower increase than analysts' expected rise to 5.8 percent. The report also said that 5,000 jobs were lost last month, an improvement over the revised 13,000 jobs lost in September. Economists had expected flat payrolls.

Also ahead of the bell, the Commerce Department said consumers cut back on personal spending by 0.4 percent in September, from a rise of 0.4 percent in August -- the largest decline in 10 months and wider than economists' expected 0.2 pullback. Personal income grew 0.4 percent; analysts had forecast 0.5 percent growth.

The Institute for Supply Management issues its report on manufacturing soon after the markets open. Economists expect a decline in the index to 48.9 from 49.5 in September, according to Briefing.com. Any reading below 50 signals contraction in the sector.

After the markets close, investors expect a ruling on whether No. 1 software maker Microsoft's (MSFT: down $1.14 to $52.33, Research, Estimates) antitrust settlement with the U.S. government will be accepted by a federal judge.

Asian-Pacific stocks closed mostly lower Friday, although Tokyo's Nikkei index finished with a 0.5 percent gain. European markets were weaker at midday.

Treasury prices slipped, with the 10-year note yielding 3.93 percent. The dollar fell to a one-month low versus the yen and a two-month low against the euro.

Brent oil futures advanced 10 cents to $25.82 a barrel in London, where gold was higher.