Investing.com - The number of job openings in the U.S. rose more than expected in February, remaining in territory consistent with an improving labor market as employers actively seek workers, official data showed on Tuesday.
In the release of the monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), the U.S. Labor Department said that the number of job openings, excluding the farming industry, increased to 5.743 million in February from 5.625 million a month earlier, which was revised from the original reading of 5.626 million.
Analysts had expected the number of job openings to increase to just 5.655 million.
The report has garnered more attention despite the lag on the data, as Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen has cited the survey when assessing the state of the labor market.
Following the report, EUR/USD was trading at 1.0610 from around 1.0611 ahead of the release of the data, GBP/USD exchanged hands at 1.2439 compared to 1.2434 previously, while USD/JPY was at 110.28 from 110.30 earlier.
The US dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major rivals, was at 100.75, compared to 100.74 ahead of the report.
Meanwhile, U.S. stock markets traded lower after the open. The Dow 30 fell 31 points, or 0.15%, the S&P 500 lost 9 points, or 0.41%, while the Nasdaq Composite traded down 29 points, or 0.49%.
Elsewhere, in the commodities market, gold futures traded at $1,267.15 a troy ounce, compared to $1,267.85 ahead of the data, while crude oil traded at $52.92 a barrel from $52.91 earlier.