Package-delivery firms pulled back on hiring at the height of peak shipping season, cutting payrolls by 5,200 jobs in December to end a 20-month expansion that has helped fuel strong employment growth in the transportation and logistics sector. The pullback shown in the preliminary figures the Labor Department released Friday came after messenger and courier operators had added 72,100 jobs over the previous 12 months as companies boosted hiring to handle the booming growth in e-commerce deliveries.

Source: Wall Street Journal January 04, 2019 19:41 UTC