US stocks posted sharp losses on Thursday as oil prices continued to fall and weekly jobless numbers sparked wider concerns about the state of employment in a sluggish US economy.
The job fears came ahead of monthly unemployment figures due out Friday, and dragged down shares in Caterpillar Inc and United Technologies Corp among others. Analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News predicted a further 75,000 jobs were lost in August.
Boeing Co fell after its largest union voted to reject a new contract offer. The plane manufacturer now has two days to renegotiate or face a strike.
Exxon Mobil Corp led energy shares lower, as crude oil for October delivery fell 45 cents to $107.44 dollars per barrel - down nearly 30 percent from a record high of $147.27 earlier this summer.
The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 344.65 points, or 2.99 percent, to 11,188.23. The broad-based Standard & Poor's 500 Index tumbled 38.15 points, or 2.99 percent, to 1,236.83. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index slid 74.69 points, or 3.2 percent, to 2,259.04.
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