KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit closed slightly lower against the US dollar yesterday following a 0.1% rise in the US Dollar Index to 98.245 points despite a weaker-than-expected job openings report in the United States, said an analyst.

At 6pm, the local note eased to 4.2260/2320 from Wednesday’s close of 4.2230/2285.

Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said market attention was now on the ADP Employment Change report, which measures private-sector job creation in the United States, with consensus expectations at 65,000 new jobs in August compared with 104,000 in the previous month.

“Initial jobless claims are expected to edge slightly higher to 230,000 last week from 229,000 the week before,” he told Bernama.