US Job openings drop, BOJ considers bond purchases reduction

US Job openings fall more than expected

The number of job openings in the United States fell by 296,000 to 8.059 million in April, the lowest level since February 2021, missing forecasts of 8.34 million. The decline was most pronounced in the health care and social assistance sectors, while private educational services saw an increase in job vacancies.

BOJ May reduce bond purchases in June

The Bank of Japan is likely to consider reducing its bond purchases as early as its policy meeting next week, sources familiar with the matter said. BOJ officials are expected to discuss whether it is appropriate to slow the pace of bond buying from the current ¥6 trillion ($38.4 billion) per month and if more details are needed to improve market predictability. Japan’s Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki confirmed that recent interventions in the currency market have stabilized the yen, addressing excessive movements at the end of April and early May.

Swiss CPI unchanged at 1.4% year-on-year in May

Switzerland's consumer price index (CPI) remained steady at 1.4% year-on-year in May, with core CPI also unchanged at 1.2% year-on-year. Domestic product inflation was stable at 2.0% year-on-year, while inflation for imported products decreased from -0.4% to -0.6% year-on-year. On a month-on-month basis, the CPI rose 0.3%, with core CPI up 0.2%. Domestic products saw a 0.5% month-on-month rise, while imported product prices were flat.