Investing.com - The number of job openings in the U.S. rose more than expected in May, underlining optimism over the strength of the labor market, official data showed on Tuesday.
In a report, the U.S. Labor Department said that the number of job openings, excluding the farming industry, increased to 5.363 million in May from 5.334 million in April, whose figure was revised down from a previously reported 5.376 million.
Analysts had expected the number of job openings to rise to 5.350 million in May.
The report has garnered more attention lately, as Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen often cites the survey when assessing the state of the labor market.
EUR/USD was trading at 1.0948 from around 1.0952 ahead of the release of the data, GBP/USD was at 1.5444 from 1.5440 earlier, while USD/JPY was at 122.42 compared to 122.42 earlier.
The US dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major rivals, was at 97.24, compared to 97.26 ahead of the report.
Meanwhile, U.S. stock markets were lower after the open. The Dow 30 slumped 0.4%, the S&P 500 dropped 0.35%, while the Nasdaq Composite declined 0.65%.
Elsewhere, in the commodities market, gold futures traded at $1,155.70 a troy ounce, compared to $1,155.30 ahead of the data, while crude oil traded at $51.25 a barrel from $51.39 earlier.