Delta Upends U.S. Labor Chief’s Plans for Swift Jobs Comeback

U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh had high hopes for September: Receding Covid-19 risk, easing restrictions and steadily improving jobs numbers. But the delta variant’s aggressive path has shaken his expectations for a rapidly recovering labor market.

The resurgence of coronavirus cases has already pushed back a return to the office for many Americans and slowed down consumer activity. Walsh’s own department is delaying a partial return until at least October.

“I was hoping that we could have a nice recovery here in the month of September,” Walsh, 54, said in a wide-ranging Zoom interview with Bloomberg News Thursday from his ...