US companies unexpectedly slash jobs in January as omicron surge batters economy

U.S. companies unexpectedly cut jobs in January for the first time in a year, as a surge in the highly contagious omicron coronavirus variant battered the labor market’s recovery from the pandemic, according to the ADP National Employment Report released Wednesday morning. 

Companies shed 301,000 jobs last month, sharply missing the 207,000-job gain that economists surveyed by Refinitiv had predicted and a major drop from the downwardly revised gain of 776,000 in December. It marked the first time that ADP reported negative growth since December 2020, when companies shed 123,000 jobs before the vaccines were available. 

FED SIGNALS INTEREST RATE HIKE COULD COME ‘SOON’ AS INFLATION RAGES

“The labor market recovery took a step back at the start of 2022 due to the effect of the omicron variant and

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Last Chance for These Small Business Grants in January

If you want to start 2022 with some extra cash in your business bank account, these small business grants may help. But you must act quickly. All of the following grants have deadlines in January. Read on to learn about the different opportunities and how to apply.



Comcast RISE

Applications for the latest round of Comcast RISE grants are due in January. The program stands for Representation, Investment, Strength, and Empowerment. So its goal is to support women and minority entrepreneurs. Originally launched in 2020, the initiative has already provided more than $60 million in funding, marketing, and technology services to eligible businesses. The latest round is specifically for marketing and technology services. And applications are due January 15.

New York StartUP! 2022 Business Plan Competition

The New York Public Library hosts its New York StartUP! Business Plan Competition each year. This year’s contest offers $15,000 for the first place

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Trump Dismissed Coronavirus Warnings in January 2020: ‘Yeah, Okay’

  • Trump dismissed warnings about the coronavirus in January 2020, according to a new e book.
  • Then-HHS Secretary Alex Azar attempted to convey to Trump about the threat of COVID-19 in a telephone call.
  • “Yeah, all right,” Trump responded, then hung up. 

Then-President Donald Trump slice the dialogue brief when his overall health secretary, Alex Azar, warned him of the coronavirus in January 2020, according to a new e-book, “Nightmare Situation: Inside the Trump Administration’s Response to the Pandemic That Transformed Background,” by The Washington Post’s Damian Paletta and Yasmeen Abutaleb.

The president was at his Mar-a-Lago vacation resort in Florida at the time, a excursion that took location approximately a thirty day period right after the Residence impeached him in excess of his attempts to solicit Ukraine’s interference in the 2020 election. The Senate was readying his trial. Trump aides believed the president required cheering

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