in brief

First phase of expansion at South Point opens this week

The first phase of South Point's 55,000-square-foot casino expansion opens this week with 400 slot machines, a newly designed race book, a larger poker room and new entertainment area.

South Point owner Michael Gaughan said the expansion gives the casino on the southern end of Las Vegas Boulevard one of the largest gaming floors in the country.

The privately held South Point did not reveal the expansion's cost.

The expansion's second phase, opening later this year, will feature an outlet of Steak 'n Shake, a Midwest culinary staple.

A Japanese sushi-teppanyaki restaurant is also planned.

WASHINGTON

Job openings decline, layoffs increase in May, data show

Job openings dropped in May from the previous month and layoffs rose, fresh evidence that employers are reluctant to add workers.

The Labor Department said Tuesday that job openings fell to 3.2 million in May from 3.3 million in the previous month. April's upwardly revised figure was the highest in 18 months.

The department's report, known as the Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey, illustrates how competitive the job market is.

There were about 4.7 unemployed people, on average, for each job opening in May. That's down from the peak of 6.3 last November, but is much higher than the 1.8 unemployed per opening when the recession began in December 2007.

May's job openings are 37 percent above the low point of 2.3 million openings in July 2009. But the figure is still far below prerecession levels of about 4.5 million.

Layoffs increased by about 100,000 to 1.9 million in May, the department said, but remain at pre-recession levels. The department said layoffs rose to a peak of 2.6 million in January 2009.

SEATTLE

Consumer Reports' assessment may not slow iPhone sales

A decision by Consumer Reports against endorsing the latest iPhone because of reception problems threatens to tarnish Apple Inc.'s reputation, yet fans who have braved poor reception for years are likely to keep buying the product.

Some analysts say Apple could simply ignore calls by bloggers and others to recall the iPhone 4 or offer free cases to mitigate the problems.

As of Tuesday evening, Apple hadn't returned phone calls or e-mails about the Consumer Reports critique, which the venerable arbiter of product quality posted on its website Monday. While some Apple watchers find the company's responses to the reception issue objectionable, they don't see any penalties if it does nothing further.

People buy iPhones for emotional reasons, not because they're the best phones, said Deborah Mitchell, executive director of the Center for Brand and Product Management at the University of Wisconsin.

"People see you using the iPhone, and they think you are a certain type of person -- hip, fresh and youthful in attitude," she said. "It's a brand that helps you identify yourself."

International Game Technology reports board member's death

International Game Technology board member Frederick Rentschler, a company director since 1992, died recently, the Reno-based slot machine manufacturer announced Tuesday.

"As IGT's longest serving board member, he has been an integral part of IGT's success," IGT Chief Executive Officer Patti Hart said in a statement.

Rentschler was president and CEO of Northwest Airlines before his retirement in 1991. He served as president and CEO of Beatrice Company from 1987 to 1989, and as president and CEO of Beatrice U.S. Foods from 1985 to 1987.