BAD TO WORSE

Number of Job Openings Falls

As American workers search for work.

After last week's disappointing jobs report, Tuesday brought more bad news. The Labor Department reported that the number of American job openings fell in July to 3.67 million, down from June's 3.72 million. The number of new hires also fell in the past month, from 4.23 million to 4.3 million. In a lagging labor market, marked by scores of workforce dropouts, the figures show that it's still difficult to get an American job—and getting harder. The data implies that an average of 3.5 people are gunning for every open position. Many blame employers' reluctance to hire on uncertainty, from the euro-zone wobbles to the impending fiscal cliff.