U.S. stocks slide on worries about Fed rate policy

``"Markets love certainty and right now there is too much uncertainty about the Fed's trigger points for raising rates. Instead of looking at one number, such as the unemployment rate, the Fed is looking at a mosaic of data points. Investors are unsure what the Fed would consider a tolerable level of higher inflation," said Hooper. Weekly jobless claims rose slightly less than expected a week after hitting a 14-year low. However the employment cost index rose due to a larger-than-expected increase in wages. Many analysts watch for wage inflation as a precursor to inflation.''