March futures on the S&P/TSX index were down 0.2% at 7:14 a.m. ET (12:14 GMT).

Futures on Wall Street's main indexes were also muted ahead of crucial jobs report.

The materials sector is expected to gain as gold prices ticked up on a weaker dollar and lower Treasury yields, while copper edged higher on hopes of more economic support from China.

The U.S. Labor Department's job openings data, due at 10 a.m. ET, could provide some insight on the state of the American labor market and the Fed's direction on interest rate cuts. The U.S. central bank is scheduled to meet on Wednesday.

Investors will also monitor the quarterly earnings of Microsoft and Alphabet later in the day. Apple, Amazon.com and Meta report their results on Thursday.

Among domestic stocks, pharmacy retailer Metro and freight railroad operator Canadian Pacific Railway are slated to report their quarterly earnings later in the day.

The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index ended 0.4% higher on Monday. It rose to a new 20-month high, helped by gains in the technology and utilities sectors.

Copper miner Lundin Mining Corp said its fourth-quarter revenue was expected to be negatively impacted by lower metal prices.

Electronics company Celestica reported fourth-quarter results that beat analysts' estimates.

COMMODITIES AT 7:14 a.m. ET

Gold futures: $2,042.6; +0.4%

US crude: $76.63; -0.2%

Brent crude: $82.16; -0.3%

(Reporting by Purvi Agarwal in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore)