Summary Box: Job openings flat in May

JOB OPENINGS FLAT: The number of available jobs didn't increase in May, a sign that hiring is unlikely to improve this summer. Employers advertised nearly 3 million job openings in May, the Labor Department said.

JUNE LOOKING BAD: Online job postings fell 2.3 percent in June, according to the Conference Board. And SimplyHired.com, a job search engine, says postings fell in June for the second straight month.

SLOW HIRING AHEAD: The reports suggest hiring won't increase much from June's abysmal showing, when the economy generated only 18,000 net jobs and the unemployment rate rose to 9.2 percent.