U.S. businesses sharply reduced hiring last month, suggesting that resurgent COVID-19 infections slowed the economic recovery as many states closed parts of their economies again and consumers remained cautious about spending.
U.S. firms added just 167,000 jobs in July, payroll processor ADP said Wednesday, far below June's gain of 4.3 million and May's increase of 3.3 million. July's limited hiring means the economy still has 13 million fewer jobs than it did in February, according to ADP, before the viral outbreak intensified.
ADP’s figures suggest that the job market's recovery is stalling and will likely fuel concerns that the government’s jobs report, to be released Friday, will show a similar slowdown. Economists expect the government to report that employers added 1.8 million jobs, according to a survey by data provider FactSet. That would typically be considered a huge gain, but in this case it would be somewhat disappointing after hiring reached 4.8 million in June, and 2.7 million in May.
Hiring collapsed among companies of all sizes and in nearly all industries. A category that mostly includes restaurants, bars and hotels added just 38,000 jobs last month, after gaining more than 3 million in May and June combined.
The are other signs the coronavirus surge in July has dealt a setback to the economy and job market: The number of people applying for unemployment benefits has increased for the past two weeks, after falling steadily for three months. Credit and debit card data indicates that consumer spending leveled off last month.
And hiring by small businesses also flattened in July, according to real-time data compiled by Homebase, a company that provides scheduling software to small businesses.
Chipmaker Nvidia is poised to release a quarterly report that could provide a better sense of whether the stock market has been riding an overhyped artificial intelligence bubble or is being propelled by a technological boom that’s still gathering momentum.
Cracker Barrel said late Tuesday it’s returning to its old logo after critics — including President Donald Trump — protested the company’s plan to modernize.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo. For now. But the chain is also apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week.
Elon Musk on Monday targeted Apple and OpenAI in an antitrust lawsuit alleging that the iPhone maker and the ChatGPT maker are teaming up to thwart competition in artificial intelligence.
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