Job openings surged to a record high in July even as hiring fell, signaling a tighter labor market that's expected to soon push up wage growth.<br />Employers advertised 5.8 million jobs, up from 5.3 million in June and the highest on records dating to 2000, the Labor Department said Wednesday.<br />The previous high was 5.4 million in May.<br />The number of hires slipped to 5 million from 5.2 million, according to the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey.<br />As the unemployment rate falls to near-normal levels, many employers are struggling to find workers - a dilemma some economists attribute to mismatches between the skills of unemployed workers and employers' needs.<br />The jobless rate was 5.3% in July and dropped to 5.1% last month.
