A likely poor jobs figure for January could prove temporary

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER
AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Last month, U.S. employers might have shed jobs for the first time in about a year, potentially raising alarms about the economy’s trajectory. Yet even if the January employment report coming Friday were to show a deep loss of jobs, there would be little mystery about the likely culprit: A wave of omicron infections that led millions of workers to stay home sick, discouraged consumers from venturing out to spend and likely froze hiring at many companies — even those that want to fill jobs. Reported omicron infections peaked at above 800,000 a day during the second week of January — precisely the period when the government measured employment for the month.