This week's bounce appears to have been fleeting, as stocks once again resumed their December selloff. The Dow finished 348 points lower and was off by over 650 points at its session lows. The Nasdaq also turned in solid triple-digit losses, while the S&P 500 suffered its second-worst day of the month.

Elsewhere, Wall Street's "fear gauge" -- the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) snapped its four-day losing streak. Today's jobs data did little to assuage investors, as many reasons that it will cause the Fed to remain aggressive in its policy tightening due to inflation. 

GOLD DROPS BELOW $1,800

Oil prices climbed today, with West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for January delivery adding $2.06 or 2.7%, to settle at $78.29 per barrel. 

Gold prices dropped back below the $1,800 level today. February-dated gold lost $30.10, or 1.7%, to settle at $1795.30 per ounce. 

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