By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER
AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON – Layoffs are back, and that’s bad news for the fragile economic recovery.
New applications for unemployment benefits hit a nine-month high last week – a spike that suggests private employers may shed jobs this month for the first time this year.
Workers are losing construction jobs in Georgia and manufacturing jobs in Indiana. Some of the layoffs are coming as stimulus money dries up and public works projects come to a halt. Government employees are being let go, too, as states and cities grapple with budget crises.