US equity indexes closed lower on Thursday after a labor market report showed the highest number of recorded layoffs in October in more than two decades weighed on government bond yields.

* US employers made 153,074 job cuts in October, the highest for the month since 2003, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. The total was nearly triple the 55,597 cuts recorded a year earlier. Cost-cutting was the top reason, accounting for 50,437 layoffs, while 31,039 were attributed to artificial intelligence.

* The CBOE Volatility Index, often called Wall Street's fear gauge, rose 11% to 19.95 Thursday, pulling back after dropping as much as 8% the previous day.

* December West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell $0.95 to settle at $59.61 per barrel, while January Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen down $0.90 to $63.54.

* Datadog (DDOG) shares were up nearly 24%, leading gains on the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, after reporting stronger-than-expected Q3 adjusted earnings and revenue, and raising its 2025 forecast.

* DoorDash (DASH) was the biggest decliner on the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, sliding nearly 18% after its quarterly results fell short of analyst estimates.