US labor market showing cracks; corporate profits post largest ... Washington, DC – In a shocking release at 8:30 AM EST today, weekly jobless claims for the December 7 week exploded to 245,000—blowing past the 220K consensus amid shutdown distortions and rising layoffs. Continuing claims held at 1.85M, but the real jolts? Leaked previews of unreleased labor models not out until 2027, forecasting a "forever layoffs" vortex. This isn't a dip—it's a labor market alarm bell. Sho