(Recasts, adds analyst comment, U.S. data, bullets, FX table, byline, NEW YORK dateline; updates prices) * U.S. housing starts fall in December * Philly Fed manufacturing index falls less than expected * U.S. jobless claims drop By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss and Harry Robertson NEW YORK/LONDON, Jan 19 (Reuters) – The dollar slid on Thursday against major currencies in choppy trading as a slew of data continued to show that the U.S. economy was slowing down in the wake of multiple hefty rate hikes from the Federal Reserve, with the market anticipating a pause in tightening this year. The yen, on the other hand, rallied against the dollar as traders continued to bet the Bank of Japan (BOJ) will eventually shift away from ultra-loose monetary policy. Thursday’s data showed that overall U.S. housing starts declined 1.4% to a rate of 1.382 million units last month. Building permits dropped as well, down 1.6% o…
