The Australian sharemarket slid lower at the open ahead of the latest unemployment figures while Wall Street wavered to a mixed close, but an upbeat outlook from semiconductor company Micron Technology after the closing bell boosted US futures.

Stocks fell on Wall Street as a sell-off in big technology companies spread from Asia back to the US over worries about potentially higher interest rates by the end of the year.

The Australian sharemarket has advanced at the open while a sell-off in big technology stocks spread from Asia back to the US overnight over worries about potentially higher…