Investing.com - U.S. employment costs rose less-than-expected in the first quarter of 2014, official data showed on Wednesday.
In a report, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said employment costs, or the change in the price businesses and the government pay for civilian labor, rose by a seasonally adjusted 0.3% in the first three months of 2014, below expectations for a 0.5% increase. The employment cost index rose by 0.5% in the preceding quarter.
Following the release of the data, the U.S. dollar held on to losses against the euro to trade higher, with EUR/USD rising 0.34% to trade at 1.3859.
Meanwhile, U.S. stock index futures were lower. The Dow indicated a loss of 0.1% at the open, S&P 500 futures pointed to a decline of 0.2%, while the Nasdaq 100 indicated a drop of 0.4%.