Wall Street jumped on Thursday, with the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 up more than 1 percent, after signs of life in the labor market and strong sales at some U.S. retailers lifted optimism ahead of Friday's key June jobs report.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 99.11 points, or 0.78 percent, to 12,725.13. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> rose 13.92 points, or 1.04 percent, to 1,353.14. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> added 40.00 points, or 1.41 percent, to 2,874.02.

(Reporting by Edward Krudy; Editing by James Dalgleish)