US benchmark equity indexes ended lower Thursday as traders tracked tariff updates, while a report showed that layoffs reached their highest level since July 2020.

* The US is pausing tariffs on Canadian and Mexican items that are covered by a trade deal known as the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement, US President Donald Trump said in a social media post. This exemption runs through April 2.

* On Wednesday, the Trump administration said it would grant a one-month delay for tariffs on automakers whose vehicle are in compliance with the USMCA.

* US job cuts in February hit their highest monthly total since July 2020, driven by government workforce reductions, Challenger Gray & Christmas said in a report.

* "With the impact of the Department of Government Efficiency actions, as well as canceled government contracts, fear of trade wars and bankruptcies, job cuts soared in February," said Andrew Challenger, senior vice president of Challenger Gray & Christmas.

* April West Texas Intermediate crude oil closed down $0.09 to settle at $66.22 per barrel, while May Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen up $0.09 to $69.39.

* Burlington Stores (BURL) shares surged more than 9% after the off-price retailer posted higher-than-expected fiscal Q4 results and indicated that the ongoing economic uncertainty could benefit discount stores.

* MongoDB (MDB) shares plunged nearly 27%. The database software maker late Wednesday issued a downbeat full-year financial outlook.