US dollar sinks to 7-month low after soft US jobs report
[NEW YORK] The US dollar dropped to seven-month lows on Friday after data showed the US economy created fewer jobs than expected last month, which could derail a possible interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve in the second half of this year.
The greenback fell to seven-month troughs against the euro and Swiss franc, while sliding to a two-week bottom versus the yen.
Data showed that US nonfarm payrolls increased just 138,000 last month as the manufacturing, government and retail sectors lost jobs. The consensus forecast had been 185,000 new jobs.
March and April data was revised to show 66,000 fewer jobs created than previously reported. May's job gains marked a sharp deceleration from the 181,000 monthly average over the past 12 months.
The unemployment rate, however, fell to a 16-year low of 4.3 per cent.
Despite the big miss in payrolls, analysts said this would not necessarily prevent the Fed from raising interest rates this month.
"This is a broadly grim jobs report, but not quite grim enough to blow the Fed off course," said David Lamb, head of dealing at Fexco Corporate Payments in Edinburgh.
"The momentum - and expectation - for a June interest rate hike is sufficiently strong to ensure that (Fed Chair) Janet Yellen will still pull the trigger as expected on June 14th." He noted, however, that the Fed's plan to push rates higher repeatedly later this year now looks far from certain.
In late trading, interest rate futures have priced in a 96 per cent chance of a Fed rate increase on June 14, according to the CME's FedWatch.
Traders continue to see a slightly less than an even chance for one more rate hike before the end of the year, based on the price of fed funds futures contracts traded at CME Group Inc's Chicago Board of Trade.
In late trading, the US dollar index fell to a seven-month low and was last down 0.5 per cent at 96.725. The euro was 0.6 per cent higher against the US dollar at US$1.1276, after earlier rising to a seven-month peak of US$1.1282.
Against the yen, the US dollar fell to two week lows and last changed hands at 110.44 yen, down 0.8 per cent.
The US dollar also slid to seven-month troughs versus the Swiss franc, trading last at 0.9633 franc, down 0.9 per cent.
REUTERS
KEYWORDS IN THIS ARTICLE
BT is now on Telegram!
For daily updates on weekdays and specially selected content for the weekend. Subscribe to t.me/BizTimes
Banking & Finance
Five new charges for money laundering accused Zhang Ruijin before his plead guilty mention
Bank of Japan keeps rates steady, projects inflation staying near 2% in coming years
Weak yen pressures Bank of Japan’s interest rate decision
Basel Committee adds climate risks to banking supervision standards
Crypto firm sues SEC to fend off oversight of Ethereum
Great Eastern chairman appeals for patience as shareholders fume over share price ‘disaster’