When the U.S. economy began to strengthen earlier this year, companies cut back on layoffs and posted more job openings. What they didn't do was actually step up their hiring. Now the recovery appears to be faltering again, giving companies even less incentive to hire. That could spell further trouble for job growth in months ahead, especially if companies go back to slashing payrolls. There are signs this already is happening. Private employers laid off 71,000 more workers in April than the month before. New claims for jobless benefits, which had been falling steadily since last fall, have trended upward ... |