Oil slips as weak U.S. jobs report gives 'reality check' | Reuters

Oil slips as weak U.S. jobs report gives 'reality check' | Reuters

Oil prices fell on Friday after a weaker than expected U.S. jobs report indicated a patchy economic recovery that could mean slower fuel demand during a resurgent pandemic.

Losses were capped by concerns that U.S. supply would remain limited in the wake of Hurricane Ida, which cut production from the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.

Brent crude futures settled lower by 42 cents, or 0.58%, at $72.61 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were down 70 cents or 1%, at $69.29.

Both benchmark oil contracts were largely steady for the week, with U.S. crude up 0.80%.

"Prices slipped on the employment report, which was clearly impacted by the Delta variant," said John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital in New York. "This was a reality check that the coronavirus is still impacting demand," he added.