Investing.com - The number of job openings in the U.S. fell more than expected in June, one month after hitting the highest level on record, official data showed on Wednesday.
In a report, the U.S. Labor Department said that the number of job openings, excluding the farming industry, decreased to 5.249 million in June from 5.357 million in May, whose figure was revised down from a previously reported 5.363 million.
Analysts had expected the number of job openings to fall to 5.300 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.
EUR/USD was trading at 1.1183 from around 1.1174 ahead of the release of the data, GBP/USD was at 1.5613 from 1.5611 earlier, while USD/JPY was at 123.97 compared to 124.01 earlier.
The US dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major rivals, was at 96.16, compared to 96.25 ahead of the report.
Meanwhile, U.S. stock markets were lower after the open. The Dow 30 slumped 1.1%, the S&P 500 dropped 0.95%, while the Nasdaq Composite declined 1.15%.
Elsewhere, in the commodities market, gold futures traded at $1,118.80 a troy ounce, compared to $1,118.50 ahead of the data, while crude oil traded at $43.60 a barrel from $43.78 earlier.