WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers posted fewer job openings in December and hiring slowed, adding to evidence that the job market weakened that month.

Still, the number of available jobs remained near a 5½-year high. The Labor Department said Tuesday that job openings slipped 1 percent to 3.99 million in December, from 4.03 million in the previous month. November’s total was the first time that available jobs had topped 4 million since March 2008.