US Loses 140,000 Jobs, First Monthly Decline Since April

Andrew Walcott, owner of Fusion East Caribbean & Soul Food restaurant, poses for a photo at the restaurant in East New York neighborhood of New York City on Jan. 7, 2021. Walcott had to furlough four employees at his restaurant just before Christmas, after the state stopped allowing indoor dining. Mary Altaffer/AP Photo

WASHINGTON—U.S. employers shed jobs last month for the first time since April, cutting 140,000 positions, clear evidence that the economy is faltering as the viral pandemic tightens its grip on consumers and businesses.

At the same time, the unemployment rate stayed at 6.7 percent, the first time since April that it hasn’t fallen.