Jobless claims

U.S. companies pared back hiring plans, while job cuts also picked up.

The labor market has cooled more in the second quarter than previously estimated.

The labor market has continued to defy expectations and blunt the impact on the economy from high interest rates and prices.

The latest BLS figures suggest some cracks are beginning to form in a jobs market that has been gradually normalizing.

The drop in claims is consistent with a strong labor market recovering from the omicron variant, which forced some businesses to close.

Initial unemployment claims totaled 260,000 in the week ended Jan. 22, down 30,000 from the prior period.

The fallout should be short-lived as companies are desperate to retain and attract talent amid ongoing labor shortages.

The omicron variant poses a risk to the pace of employment growth in early 2022.

The spread of the omicron variant has reignited fears for the economy amid school and business closures.

Job growth registered its smallest gain this year.

The U.S. added 531,000 to payrolls in October after large upward revisions to the prior two months.

Companies are desperate to hire workers as labor shortages continue to plague production and boost prices.

The deceleration in hiring likely reflects both growing fears about the rapidly spreading delta variant of COVID-19 and difficulties filling vacant positions.

Unlike past recessions, millions abruptly left the workforce as soon as the pandemic began and are still not seeking employment.

Difficulty attracting workers is slowing momentum in the labor market.

The job market is strengthening as employers look to fill positions left empty by the pandemic.

The pandemic has pushed out older employees and is deepening inequality as lower income workers feel the brunt of the crisis.

The decrease in claims shows the labor market continues to improve as more Americans get vaccinated.

The data show a jobs recession that was hardest on women without college degrees and Black and Hispanic women, and was pretty tough on men without college degrees and Hispanic men too.

Pandemic job losses have disproportionately impacted minorities.