Shares of industrial and transportation companies fell after a relatively weak November jobs report and more reported cases of the Omicron variant in the U.S.
The U.S. economy added a seasonally adjusted 210,000 jobs in November, the smallest gain since last December.
There were other, more positive, signs in the report, however, with more workers rejoining the work force, suggesting a renewed sense of optimism about job prospects.
Shares of Boeing fell slightly, but retained the bulk of their Thursday gains, in an apparent vote of confidence in the outlook for the travel business.
Data on factory activity was also mixed: new orders for manufactured goods in the U.S. increased 1% in October from a month earlier, but orders for durable goods -- those designed to last for three years or more -- fell by 0.5%.
Write to Rob Curran at rob.curran@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
12-03-21 1632ET
