U.S. job openings, layoffs rise in December (by Rex Nutting)

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- The total number of open jobs in the United States ticked higher in December to a seasonally adjusted 2.50 million, the Labor Department reported Tuesday. Net employment fell by 165,000 in December from November, with hiring falling 1.3% to 4.07 million and separations from jobs declining 0.8% to 4.24 million. The number of workers who quit their jobs voluntarily dropped 0.8% to 1.76 million in December, while layoffs increased 3.4% to 2.08 million. Compared with a year earlier, job openings fell 22.5%, separations declined 14.5%, and hiring fell 9.6%. With unemployment at 15.3 million in December there were 6.1 job openings for every person looking for a job.