Wall Street retreated Thursday after weekly unemployment claims jumped to a six-year high and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and other retailers reported disappointing sales, touching off renewed fears that a pullback in consumer spending will damage the economy.

The nation's jobs market sent a fresh cry of distress as the number of newly laid off people unexpectedly hit the highest level in more than six years, a Labor Department report showed Thursday.

Government data due out Thursday is expected to show that the number of newly laid off people filing claims for jobless benefits went down last week after spiking to a five-year high.

Ray Oen cleared out his office at Weyerhaeuser Co.'s headquarters on Tuesday, and carried a box of personal items to his car. On top was a photo of the nuclear submarine he served aboard as an officer.

Recent political talk about tire pressure serves as an important reminder to motorists about the fuel saving benefits of properly inflated tires.

The nation's mining industry is mired in summer doldrums after a long and profitable run, dragged down by volatile prices and fears of a global economic slowdown.

Weyerhaeuser Co. swung to a loss in the second quarter, hurt by a slump in U.S. housing that walloped sales of its lumber, panels and other products used in construction. Results, however, weren't as bad as Wall Street expected.

Weyerhaeuser Co. on Tuesday said it would cut about 1,500 employees, or 6.3 percent of its global work force, as part of an ongoing plan to scale back operations to focus on timberlands and wood products.

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services lowered its short-term rating on International Paper Co. to "A-3" from "A-2," after the company closed its acquisition of Weyerhaeuser Co.'s containerboard packaging and recycling business for $6 billion in cash.

Weyerhaeuser Co reported lower quarterly operating profit on Tuesday as the slump in the U.S. housing market hurt its home building business and weakened demand for lumber, plywood and other building products.