Oct 8 (Reuters) - Canada’s main stock index gained on Friday as energy stocks jumped on higher oil prices, while a surge in employment numbers to pre-pandemic levels signalled a strong economic recovery. The Canadian economy posted a monster jobs gain in September, putting inflation back to pre-pandemic levels, and the unemployment rate hit an 18-month low, Statistics Canada data indicated on Friday. At 9:31 a.m. ET (1331 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index was up 58 points, or 0.28%, at 20,474.21. Reporting by Shashank Nayar in Bengaluru