Asian stocks rose, driving the benchmark index higher for its third week, as U.S. retail and jobs market data increased optimism in the strength of the global economic recovery.

BHP Billiton Ltd., the world’s No. 1 mining company by market value, advanced 0.9 percent after oil prices rose on optimism fuel demand will increase in the U.S. Toyota Motor Corp., the world’s biggest carmaker by market value, rose 1.3 percent in Tokyo. Shinhan Financial Group Co. dropped in Seoul after a term sheet showed that Korea Deposit Insurance Corp. is selling 2.9 million shares in the company.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index increased 0.4 percent to 137.88 as of 9:14 a.m. in Tokyo, driving the measure toward a 1.7 percent gain this week, its third consecutive weekly increase. About four shares rose for each that fell on the 1,018-member gauge. All 10 industry groups advanced.

“U.S. jobs rebounded in June after slumping in May because of the impact on the car industry from Japan’s earthquake,” said Juichi Wako, a senior strategist at Tokyo-based Nomura Holdings Inc. “The job data shows the drop was temporary.”

Japan’s Nikkei 225 (NKY) Stock Average rose 1 percent after the nation’s Finance Ministry said the current-account surplus narrowed less than economists forecast in May. South Korea’s Kospi index rose 0.2 percent in Seoul while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index added 0.6 percent in Sydney.

Futures on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index declined 0.1 percent today. The S&P gained 1.1 percent yesterday to close at its highest level since May 10 after companies added 157,000 workers to their payrolls last month, compared with a 36,000 gain in May, according to a report from ADP Employer Services. The median forecast in a Bloomberg News survey was for 70,000 extra jobs. Also, sales reports indicated that shoppers took advantage of discounts retailers implemented in June to clear inventory.