NEW YORK�(CNNMoney) -- Stocks remained in the red Wednesday afternoon, as disappointing reports on jobs and the services sector revived jitters about the economy.

The Dow Jones industrial average (INDU) fell 72 points, or 0.6%. Earlier in the session, the blue-chip index tumbled more than 130 points. The S&P 500 (SPX) shed 8 points, or 0.6%; and the Nasdaq (COMP) slid 6 points, or 0.2%.

General Electric (GE, Fortune 500) and Caterpillar (CAT, Fortune 500) were the biggest drags on the Dow. Shares of First Solar (FSLR) pressured both the Nasdaq and S&P 500, falling nearly 6%.

Before the opening bell, payroll processor ADP said the private sector created 179,000 jobs last month -- down from 207,000 in the previous month. That was less than the 200,000 economists had been expecting.

"We hit a disappointment with ADP," said Doug Roberts, chief investment strategist for Channel Capital Research. "It wasn't earth shattering -- but at the same time, the average person doesn't see their job prospects improving much at all."

Later in the morning, the Institute for Supply Management also brought gloomy news, showing its reading on the services sector fell to an 8-month low in April.

Neither reports spur much confidence ahead of the government's widely anticipated report on April payrolls, due Friday.

"People might be slightly more nervous about the economic outlook," said Sireen Harajli, an associate economist at Credit Agricole in New York. "There's a shadow of uncertainty going forward."

Other commodities also continued to sell-off.

Gold futures for June delivery fell $26.40 to $1,514 an ounce.

Silver futures for July delivery dropped $3.40 to $39.20, after sinking more than 7% in the previous session.

Bonds: Bond prices moved higher, pushing the yield on the 10-year Treasury note down to 3.23%. Silver sinks more than 7%



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