NEW YORK, May 4 (Reuters) - U.S. stock futures pointed to a higher open on Friday on deal news, including a report Microsoft (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile , Research) is intensifying its pursuit of a deal to buy Yahoo Inc. (YHOO.O: Quote, Profile , Research) and before jobs data.

The widely anticipated monthly U.S. payrolls report, due at 8:30 a.m (1230 GMT), will be scrutinized for further clues about the outlook for interest rates. It is forecast to show employers created 100,000 jobs in April, compared with 180,000 in March.

Yahoo’s shares rose 15 percent in Europe after the New York Post reported Microsoft, the world’s biggest software company, has asked the Web media company to reenter formal talks