April job openings surge past expectations, lifting the USD Index near 99.20 ahead of key labor market reports.
The US Dollar Index climbed toward 99.20 after April JOLTS job openings jumped to 7.618 million, exceeding the 6.88 million forecast and March’s 6.887 million. The stronger-than-expected labor data reinforced USD demand across major currency pairs.
Markets had anticipated a modest rise in job openings, but the print underscored resilience in the US labor market. The data follows recent Fed commentary and precedes Friday’s nonfarm payrolls report, which could further influence monetary policy expectations.
EUR/USD held near 1.1630, pressured by broad USD strength, while GBP/USD edged toward 1.3470. The Japanese Yen underperformed, with USD/JPY leading gains among G10 currencies.