U.S. employers added 178,000 new jobs in March, according to new Bureau of Labor Statistics data released on April 3. Prior to the non-farm payrolls report, economists had forecast a more modest reading of 60,000. The unemployment rate also dipped to 4.3 percent last month, from the 4.4 percent registered in February. Markets had projected the jobless rate holding steady at 4.4 percent.

President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Friday that the U.S. can open the Strait of Hormuz "with a little more time." Reopening the strait has become a priority for governments around the world as energy prices soar.