US blue chips advanced on Friday as US jobless rate unexpectedly dropped under 8% last month. However, mixed data from the single currency union capped the upswing of the US blue chips index. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.26% to end the week at 13,610.15. Six out of nine sectors included in the index gained. Basic materials and consumer services were the strongest sectors within the stock index. Alcoa and El du Pont de Nemours added 0.22% and 1.21% while Wall-Mart Stores and Walt Disney climbed 0.55% and 0.65%. Meanwhile, lenders were mixed, with Bank of America slumping 0.96% and American Express rising 0.33%. At the same time, telecommunications and health care firms dragged the US blue chips index lower. AT&T and Verizon Communications sank 1.25% and 0.44%. Among technology firms, Hewlett-Packard shed 1.42% after Moody's Investors Service stated that it may downgrade the firm's investment rating after Hewlett-Packard lowered its profit forecast.