Dow Falls 223 on Jobs Data

Stocks posted losses today, soured all session by worse-than-expected June employment data, the Wall Street Journal reports. With unemployment up a tenth of a percent to 9.5%  and wages remaining stagnant, investors have little to be optimistic about. The Dow lost 223.32 to settle at 8,280.74. The Nadsaq dropped 49.20, hitting 1,796.52, and the S&P 500 fell 26.90 to close at 896.43.

In an usual step, the NYSE extended the trading session for 15 minutes due to unspecified “system irregularities” that held up certain transactions. For the week, the Dow was down 1.8%, the Nasdaq was off 2.2%, and the S&P lost 2.3%; there will be no trading tomorrow in honor of Independence Day. (More Dow Jones stories.)