|

EUR/USD rebounds as mixed US jobs data tempers Greenback strength

  • EUR/USD recovers from early losses as traders digest a mixed set of delayed September US jobs data.
  • Strong NFP headline contrasts with softer wage growth and a higher Unemployment Rate.
  • Markets remain cautious on the Fed outlook, given the limited labour information available ahead of the December meeting.

The Euro (EUR) reverses earlier losses against the US Dollar (USD) on Thursday, as the Greenback loses momentum after traders reacted to a mixed batch of delayed September US labour-market data. At the time of writing, EUR/USD is trading around 1.1541, recovering from an intraday low near 1.1502.

The delayed September US labour report delivered a mixed overall picture. Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) rose 119K, easily beating the 50K forecast, while the earlier month was revised to show a 4K decline instead of the originally reported 22K increase. The Unemployment Rate edged up to 4.4%, slightly higher than the 4.3% expected. The Labour Force Participation Rate improved to 62.4%, reflecting a modest pickup in workforce engagement.

Wage growth softened on a monthly basis, with Average Hourly Earnings rising 0.2% MoM compared with expectations for a 0.3% increase. On an annual basis, earnings were up 3.8% YoY, marginally above the 3.7% consensus. Average Weekly Hours remained steady at 34.2.

The mixed nature of the data, including strong headline hiring, weaker wage momentum, a slightly higher jobless rate and a downward revision to August, kept market reaction contained. The report carries added importance because the October jobs release has been postponed, making September one of the few labour readings available to the Federal Reserve (Fed) before the December meeting. According to the CME FedWatch Tool, markets now assign a 39% probability of a December rate cut, down from roughly 50% a week ago.

Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack maintained a hawkish stance in her latest remarks, cautioning against cutting interest rates at this stage. She warned that lowering rates now could distort market pricing and risk prolonging inflation. Hammack also noted that early easing may encourage financial risk-taking and potentially elevate financial stability risks. She added that so-called “risk-management” cuts could unintentionally increase vulnerabilities in financial markets.

US Dollar Price Today

The table below shows the percentage change of US Dollar (USD) against listed major currencies today. US Dollar was the strongest against the Japanese Yen.

USDEURGBPJPYCADAUDNZDCHF
USD-0.15%-0.51%0.41%-0.07%-0.45%-0.64%-0.04%
EUR0.15%-0.37%0.55%0.07%-0.31%-0.49%0.10%
GBP0.51%0.37%0.93%0.45%0.06%-0.12%0.47%
JPY-0.41%-0.55%-0.93%-0.47%-0.85%-1.07%-0.46%
CAD0.07%-0.07%-0.45%0.47%-0.37%-0.58%0.03%
AUD0.45%0.31%-0.06%0.85%0.37%-0.18%0.43%
NZD0.64%0.49%0.12%1.07%0.58%0.18%0.59%
CHF0.04%-0.10%-0.47%0.46%-0.03%-0.43%-0.59%

The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the US Dollar from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the Japanese Yen, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent USD (base)/JPY (quote).

Author

Vishal Chaturvedi

I am a macro-focused research analyst with over four years of experience covering forex and commodities market. I enjoy breaking down complex economic trends and turning them into clear, actionable insights that help traders stay ahead of the curve.

More from Vishal Chaturvedi
Share:

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD accelerates losses, focus is on 1.1800

EUR/USD’s selling pressure is gathering pace now, opening the door to a potential test of the key 1.1800 region sooner rather than later. The pair’s pullback comes on the back of marked gains in the US Dollar following US data releases and the publication of the FOMC Minutes later in the day.

GBP/USD turns negative near 1.3540

GBP/USD reverses its initial upside momentum and is now adding to previous declines, revisiting at the same time the 1.3540 region on Wednesday. Cable’s downtick comes on the back of decent gains in the Greenback and easing UK inflation figures, which seem to have reinforced the case for a BoE rate cut in March.

Gold picks pace, flirts with $5,000

Gold is back on the front foot on Wednesday, shaking off part of the early week softness and pushing higher towards the key $5,000 mark per troy ounce. The move comes ahead of the FOMC Minutes and is unfolding despite an intense rebound in the US Dollar.

Fed Minutes to shed light on January hold decision amid hawkish rate outlook

The Minutes of the Fed’s January 27-28 monetary policy meeting will be published today. Details of discussions on the decision to leave the policy rate unchanged will be scrutinized by investors.

Mixed UK inflation data no gamechanger for the Bank of England

Food inflation plunged in January, but service sector price pressure is proving stickier. We continue to expect Bank of England rate cuts in March and June. The latest UK inflation read is a mixed bag for the Bank of England, but we doubt it drastically changes the odds of a March rate cut.

Sui extends sideways action ahead of Grayscale’s GSUI ETF launch

Sui is extending its downtrend for the second consecutive day, trading at 0.95 at the time of writing on Wednesday. The Layer-1 token is down over 16% in February and approximately 34% from the start of the year, aligning with the overall bearish sentiment across the crypto market.