Stocks took a firm step down early Friday after employers hired fewer new workers than expected in August. The Dow Jones industrial average backed down 1.5%. The S&P 500 dropped 1.3% and the Nasdaq lost 1%. Trade was narrowly mixed, a tad lower on the Nasdaq, a shade higher on the NYSE, compared with action at the same time Thursday. Early action in the stock market today revolved around a weak August payroll report from the Labor Department.