KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia gave up earlier gains to end mixed today, amid a higher regional market showing, as property, construction, and healthcare counters attracted buying interests, while plantation, banking, and telecommunication stocks saw some profit-taking, an analyst said. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 1.70 points to close at 1,602.34 from yesterday’s close of 1,604.04. The benchmark index, which opened 0.86 of-a-point lower at 1,603.18, moved between 1,601.02 and 1,608.88 during the trading session. However, the broader market was mixed to higher, with gainers leading decliners by 565 to 438 while 502 counters remained unchanged, 961 untraded, and 14 suspended. Turnover narrowed to 2.83 billion units valued at RM2.08 billion versus 2.96 billion units valued at RM2.23 billion yesterday. Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice-president Thong Pak Leng said the benchmark index remained range-bound and it required a dec
US job openings fell modestly in June, with data for the prior month revised higher, indicating a gradual slowdown in the labor market rather than a rapid weakening. The Labor Department's Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) reported job openings dropped by 46,000 to 8.184 million by the end of June, while May's openings were revised to 8.23 million from the previously reported 8.14 million.
Key Highlights:
Job Openings:
- Job openings fell by 46,000 to 8.184 million in June.
- May's job openings were revised higher to 8.23 million.
- Job openings have been steadily declining since hitting a record 12.182 million in March 2022.
- There were 0.9 job openings for every unemployed person in June, down from 1.1 in May.
Industry-Specific Changes:
- Increases in job openings: accommodation and food services (120,000), state and local government excluding education (94,000).
- Decreases in job openings: durable goods manufacturing (88,000), federal government (62,000).
Hires and Layoffs:
- Hires declined by 314,000 to 5.341 million, lowering the hires rate to 3.4% from 3.6% in May.
- Layoffs decreased by 180,000 to 1.498 million, the lowest level since November 2022.
- Layoffs rate dropped to 0.9% from 1.1% in May.
- Voluntary quits dropped by 121,000 to 3.282 million, with the quits rate remaining unchanged at 2.1%.
Consumer Confidence:
- The Conference Board survey showed a rise in the share of consumers viewing jobs as "hard-to-get" to 16%, the highest since March 2021.
- The share of consumers who believed jobs were "not so plentiful" increased to 49.9% in July from 48.8% in June.
- The labor market differential narrowed to 18.1 from 19.8 in June.
Economic Implications:
- The labor market's cooling, indicated by reduced hiring rather than layoffs, aligns with subsiding inflation and could support the case for the Federal Reserve to begin cutting rates in September.
- Fed officials are expected to leave the benchmark overnight interest rate in the 5.25-5.5% range after their current two-day policy meeting, with expectations of potential rate cuts later in the year.
Conclusion: Despite a gradual slowdown in job openings, the labor market remains resilient with modest declines in hiring and layoffs. Consumer confidence in the labor market is waning, reflecting concerns about job availability. These trends will be crucial for the Federal Reserve's upcoming policy decisions.
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