US Job Market Sees Unexpected Decline in April

The number of job openings in the U.S. fell sharply in April, surprising analysts. According to the Department of Labor's Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary (JOLTS), there were 8.06 million job openings, down from a revised 8.36 million in March. Analysts had expected a smaller decline to 8.37 million. Voluntary quits rose to 3.51 million from 3.41 million, while layoffs decreased to 1.52 million from 1.60 million.

April Sees Uptick in US Factory Orders

US factory orders rose by 0.7% in April, matching economists' predictions. The Commerce Department reported a 0.7% increase in March as well. Orders for durable goods rose by 0.6%, slightly below the initial estimate of 0.7%. Excluding defense, orders climbed 0.4%, and orders excluding transportation rose by 0.7%. Orders for non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft, a key indicator of business investment, increased by 0.2% after a 0.2% decline in March.