US job openings fall from near 5½-year high, hiring slips in latest signs of weaker job market

U.S. employers posted fewer job openings in December and hiring slowed, adding to evidence that the job market weakened that month. Still, the number of available jobs remained near a 5½-year high. The Labor Department says that job openings slipped 1 percent to 3.99 million in December, from 4.03 million in the previous month. November's total was the first time that available jobs had topped 4 million since March 2008.