U.S. stocks pared early losses on Friday and the Nasdaq turned positive, led by gains in iPhone maker Apple Inc .

Stocks opened lower after government data showed many more jobs were lost in September than economists anticipated.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> fell 24.41 points, or 0.26 percent, at 9,484.87. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> dropped 2.32 points, or 0.23 percent, at 1,027.53. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> gained 2.72 points, or 0.13 percent, at 2,060.20.

(Editing by Padraic Cassidy)