Global Stocks Plunge as Weak US Jobs Report Fuels Economic Fears

A disappointing U.S. jobs report on Aug. 2 threw fuel on the global stock market sell-off, as weak employment data heightened investor fears of an economic slowdown and sent investors running for safety. European stocks had their worst day in over a year, while Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 suffered its biggest points drop since the COVID-19 pandemic, as investors digested news that the U.S. economy added far fewer jobs than predicted and that the unemployment rate jumped above expectations. The benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 Index, representing 600 large-, mid-, and small-cap companies across 17 European countries, ended the session 2.7 percent lower, the biggest drop in over a year....