NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Benchmark Nymex crude oil CL1Q -1.02% dropped 1.69%, or $1.60, to $96.91 a barrel Friday after U.S. non-farm payroll rose by only 18,000, well below the 125,000 gain expected by economists surveyed by MarketWatch. Oil traded as high as $98.80 before the data was released. Gold GC1Q +0.33% gained 0.4%, or $6.10, to $1536.60 an ounce.
