US JOLTS job openings data could suggest still tight labor market

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• JOLTS report will be watched closely by Fed officials ahead of September jobs data.
• Job openings are forecast to hold steady at around 8.8 million on the last business day of August.
• US labor market conditions remain out of balance despite Fed rate hikes.

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) will be released on Tuesday by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The publication will provide data about the change in the number of job openings in August, alongside the number of layoffs and quits.

JOLTS data will be scrutinized by market participants and Federal Reserve policymakers because it could provide valuable insights regarding the supply-demand dynamics in the labor market, a key factor driving up salaries and inflation. 

What to expect in the next JOLTS report?

The number of job openings on the last business day of August is forecast to stay little changed at around 8.8 million. “Over the month, the number of hires and total separations changed little at 5.8 million and 5.5 million, respectively,” the BLS  noted in July’s JOLTS. “Within separations, quits (3.5 million) decreased, while layoffs and discharges (1.6 million) changed little,” the publication further read.

Job openings have declined steadily since April, falling from 10.3 million to 8.8 million in July. Following the September policy meeting, Federal Reserve (Fed) Chairman Jerome Powell acknowledged that the supply and demand in the labor market continued to come into a better balance but noted that conditions were still tight. Although the revised Summary of Economic Projections showed that the majority of policymakers saw it appropriate to raise the policy rate one more time before the end of the year, market participants are still pricing in a more than 50% probability that the interest rate will be held steady at the 5.25%-5.5% range this year, according to the CME Group FedWatch Tool.

FXStreet Analyst Eren Sengezer shares his view on the importance of the JOLTS Job Openings data and the potential market reaction:

“Growing fears over a government shutdown in the US triggered a sell-off in US government bonds toward the end of September and surging yields provided a boost to the US Dollar (USD). With US Congress passing a stopgap funding bill to avert a shutdown until November 17, investors could shift their attention back to US data releases and their potential impact on the Fed’s policy outlook.”

“Ahead of Friday’s September jobs report, a smaller-than-expected Job Openings reading, at or below 8.5 million, could attract dovish Fed bets and weigh on the USD. On the other hand, an unexpected increase in the data with a print of 9.5 million or higher could provide a boost to the currency. Given the USD’s overbought conditions, however, the market reaction to a weak figure is likely to be more severe than a reaction to a positive surprise.”

When will the JOLTS report be released and how could it affect EUR/USD?

Job openings data will be published at 14:00 GMT. EUR/USD closed every week of September in the red and lost 2.5% on a monthly basis. If the JOLTS report reaffirms cooling conditions in the labor market, the pair could gather recovery momentum.

Eren points out key technical levels to watch for EUR/USD ahead of JOLTS data:

“EUR/USD dropped below the lower limit of the descending regression channel coming from late July and the Relative Strength Index (RSI) indicator on the daily chart dropped below 30 early Tuesday, suggesting that the pair could stage a correction before the next leg lower”

“1.0500 (static level, psychological level) aligns as a key pivot point for the pair. If EUR/USD fails to reclaim that level and continues to use it as resistance, 1.0415 (static level from November 2022) could be set as the next bearish target before 1.0350 (static level from May 2022). On the flip side, buyers could show interest if the pair climbs out of the descending channel by stabilizing above 1.0600. Above that level, 1.0650 (20-day Simple Moving Average) could be seen as next resistance before 1.0700 (static level, psychological level)”