U.S. job openings rise in December to 11 million

By PAUL WISEMAN
AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. job openings rose to 11 million in December, a sign the American labor market remains hot and a blow to the Federal Reserve’s efforts to cool it off. The Labor Department said Wednesday that openings were up from 10.4 million in November. Economists had expected job openings to drop slightly in December. The American job market has been surprisingly resilient through a time of economic uncertainty.