The US data number the Dow Jones will be watching closely this afternoon

At 2pm GMT this afternoon the US will release its latest JOLTS job openings report. This is expected to show the number of job openings little changed in August, from the 8.827 million reported in July. If that turns out not to be the case in any kind of significant way, then the US stock markets and the dollar will react. The latest data would tend to suggest that any kind of surprise (if there is one) might show contraction, due to improved hiring, but there is no bias here and we shall have to wait for the data. Ahead of that the Dow Jones did not kick off the new month and quarter on the front foot yesterday. As already noted, the index closed with a modest loss, ending the session 74 points lower, at 33,433. The Dow Jones futures were trading lower earlier today, but since then and with a rebound here in Europe, the earlier session losses have given way to a rebound and right now the index future is pricing a slightly higher opening. That will chop and change for sure over the next few hours when live trading resumes some 30 minutes before those JOLTS numbers hit the screens