Investing.com - U.S. nonfarm private employment rose much more than expected in May, bolstering optimism over the health of the labor market, industry data showed on Thursday.
In a report, payroll processing firm ADP said non-farm private employment rose by a seasonally adjusted 253,000 in May, above forecasts for an increase of 185,000.
The economy created 174,000 jobs in April, whose figure was revised down from a previously reported increase of 177,000.
While not viewed as a reliable guide for the government jobs report due on Friday, June 2, it does give guidance on private-sector hiring.
After the report, EUR/USD was trading at 1.1204 from around 1.1222 ahead of the release of the data, GBP/USD was at 1.2845 from 1.2862 earlier, while USD/JPY was at 111.38 compared to 111.12 earlier.
The US dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major rivals, was at 97.25, compared to 97.10 ahead of the report.
Meanwhile, U.S. stock futures pointed to a flat to higher open. The Dow futures edged forward 0.02%, the S&P 500 futures inched up 0.09%, while Nasdaq 100 futures rose 0.16%.
Elsewhere, in the commodities market, gold futures traded at $1,263.61 a troy ounce, compared to $1,267.00 ahead of the data, while crude oil was at $48.45 a barrel, compared to $48.43 before the release.