Investing.com - The number of job openings in the U.S. increased less than expected in June, dampening 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, rose to 4.67 million in June from 4.58 million in May.
Analysts had expected the number of job openings to increase to 4.74 million in June.
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.
Following the release of the data, the U.S. dollar held on to gains against the euro, with EUR/USD shedding 0.21% to trade at 1.3355.
Meanwhile, U.S. stock markets were higher after the open. The Dow rose 0.1%, the S&P 500 inched up 0.1%, while the NASDAQ Composite tacked on 0.1%.