03:45 PM EDT, 04/02/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US benchmark equity indexes fell before Tuesday's close as markets evaluated the latest job openings data and comments by a Federal Reserve official.

The Nasdaq Composite was down 1% at 16,229.8, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.9% to 39,198.8. The S&P 500 lost 0.7% to 5,205.2. Among sectors, health care and consumer discretionary led the decliners. Only energy and utilities posted gains.

US job openings came in at about 8.76 million as of the last day of February, up narrowly from January's downwardly revised 8.75 million print, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The consensus was for a decline to 8.73 million openings in a survey compiled by Bloomberg.

The US 10-year yield rose 3.2 basis points to 4.36%, while the two-year rate fell 2.1 basis points to 4.7%.

Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester said that although inflation is likely to continue on its downward path to 2% over time, she needs to see more data to boost her confidence regarding price stability.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose 1.7% to $85.11 per barrel.