(LATIMES) — In the largest drop in more than three years, the number of job openings in the U.S. has plunged as the hiring rate fell and firings rose, according to government figures.
To economists, the data seem to be another signal of a so-called spring stall, in which a cooling economy tempers growth. Between the uncertainty in Europe, mixed forecasts domestically and the looming presidential election, experts worry that employers will curb hiring this summer.
Available jobs fell by 325,000 to 3.42 million positions in April, sliding the most since September 2008 and hitting a five-month low, according to the Labor Department.
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