US job openings unexpectedly rise; quits at two-year low
U.S. job openings unexpectedly increased in December and data for the prior month was revised higher, suggesting that the labor market likely remains too strong for the Federal Reserve to start cutting interest rates in the first quarter. Nevertheless, the labor market is gradually cooling, with the report from the Labor Department on Tuesday also showing Americans staying put at their current jobs, which could help to slow wage growth. Fed officials are expected to keep rates unchanged at the end of a two-day policy meeting on Wednesday against the backdrop of a resilient economy, which is...