Here is what you need to know on Friday, September 6:
Following a two-day selloff, the US Dollar (USD) struggles to find demand in the European session on Friday. Eurostat will release revisions to second quarter Employment Change and Gross Domestic product data later in the session. More importantly, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics will publish the August jobs report, which will include Nonfarm Payrolls, Unemployment Rate and wage inflation figures.
US Dollar PRICE This week
The table below shows the percentage change of US Dollar (USD) against listed major currencies this week. US Dollar was the weakest against the Japanese Yen.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | -0.61% | -0.42% | -2.63% | 0.07% | 0.51% | 0.32% | -0.96% | |
| EUR | 0.61% | 0.21% | -2.04% | 0.65% | 1.12% | 0.92% | -0.39% | |
| GBP | 0.42% | -0.21% | -2.27% | 0.43% | 0.89% | 0.73% | -0.62% | |
| JPY | 2.63% | 2.04% | 2.27% | 2.72% | 3.25% | 3.16% | 1.63% | |
| CAD | -0.07% | -0.65% | -0.43% | -2.72% | 0.48% | 0.25% | -1.04% | |
| AUD | -0.51% | -1.12% | -0.89% | -3.25% | -0.48% | -0.21% | -1.49% | |
| NZD | -0.32% | -0.92% | -0.73% | -3.16% | -0.25% | 0.21% | -1.29% | |
| CHF | 0.96% | 0.39% | 0.62% | -1.63% | 1.04% | 1.49% | 1.29% |
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).
The USD Index extended its slide and closed in negative territory for the second consecutive day on Thursday, pressured by the disappointing ADP Employment Change data. In August, payrolls in the private sector rose by 99,000, missing the market expectation of 145,000 by a wide margin. Early Friday, the USD Index trades marginally lower on the day below 101.00. In the meantime, the benchmark 10-year US Treasury bond yield continues to push lower and loses nearly 1% on the day slightly below 3.7%, while US stock index futures lose between 0.2% and 0.8%. Investors expect Nonfarm Payrolls to rise 140,000 following the disappointing 114,000 increase recorded in July.
After rising sharply toward 1.3600 earlier in the week, USD/CAD reversed its direction and erased its gains in the second half of the week. Early Friday, the pair holds steady at around 1.3500. Statistics Canada will publish labor market data for August later in the day.
The data from Germany showed on Friday that Industrial Production contracted by 2.4% on a monthly basis in July. EUR/USD showed no reaction to this figure and was last seen trading above 1.1100.
GBP/USD holds its ground and edges higher toward 1.3200 early Friday after ending the previous two days in positive territory.
USD/JPY registered small losses on Thursday but came under renewed bearish pressure during the Asian trading hours on Friday. At the time of press, the pair was trading at 142.30, losing 0.8% on the day.
Following the bearish action seen in the first half of the week, Gold gathered bullish momentum and reclaimed $2,500. XAU/USD consolidates its gains at around $2,520.
Nonfarm Payrolls FAQs
Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) are part of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics monthly jobs report. The Nonfarm Payrolls component specifically measures the change in the number of people employed in the US during the previous month, excluding the farming industry.
The Nonfarm Payrolls figure can influence the decisions of the Federal Reserve by providing a measure of how successfully the Fed is meeting its mandate of fostering full employment and 2% inflation. A relatively high NFP figure means more people are in employment, earning more money and therefore probably spending more. A relatively low Nonfarm Payrolls’ result, on the either hand, could mean people are struggling to find work. The Fed will typically raise interest rates to combat high inflation triggered by low unemployment, and lower them to stimulate a stagnant labor market.
Nonfarm Payrolls generally have a positive correlation with the US Dollar. This means when payrolls’ figures come out higher-than-expected the USD tends to rally and vice versa when they are lower. NFPs influence the US Dollar by virtue of their impact on inflation, monetary policy expectations and interest rates. A higher NFP usually means the Federal Reserve will be more tight in its monetary policy, supporting the USD.
Nonfarm Payrolls are generally negatively-correlated with the price of Gold. This means a higher-than-expected payrolls’ figure will have a depressing effect on the Gold price and vice versa. Higher NFP generally has a positive effect on the value of the USD, and like most major commodities Gold is priced in US Dollars. If the USD gains in value, therefore, it requires less Dollars to buy an ounce of Gold. Also, higher interest rates (typically helped higher NFPs) also lessen the attractiveness of Gold as an investment compared to staying in cash, where the money will at least earn interest.
Nonfarm Payrolls is only one component within a bigger jobs report and it can be overshadowed by the other components. At times, when NFP come out higher-than-forecast, but the Average Weekly Earnings is lower than expected, the market has ignored the potentially inflationary effect of the headline result and interpreted the fall in earnings as deflationary. The Participation Rate and the Average Weekly Hours components can also influence the market reaction, but only in seldom events like the “Great Resignation” or the Global Financial Crisis.
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.
If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.
FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.
The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.
Recommended content
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD breaks below 1.1000 on stellar NFP
The buying bias in the Greenback gathers extra pace on Friday after the US economy created far more jobs than initially estimated in September, dragging EUR/USD to the area of new lows near 1.0950.
GBP/USD breaches 1.3100 after encouraging US Payrolls
The continuation of the uptrend in the US Dollar motivates GBP/USD to accelerates its losses and breaches 1.3100 the figure in the wake of the release of US NFP.
Gold rebounds from daily lows and flirts with $2,670
Following a post-NFP dip to the $2,640 region, Gold prices now embarks on an acceptable rebound and retest the area of $2,670 per ounce troy despite the marked advance in the US Dollar and rising US yields across the board.
US Payrolls surge in September, as 50bp rate cut ruled out
US payrolls data surprised on the upside in September, rising by 254k, smashing expectations of a 150k rise. The unemployment rate fell to 4.1% from 4.2%, average hourly earnings increased to a 4% YoY rate and there was a 72k upwards revision to the previous two months’ payrolls numbers.
RBA widely expected to keep key interest rate unchanged amid persisting price pressures
The Reserve Bank of Australia is likely to continue bucking the trend adopted by major central banks of the dovish policy pivot, opting to maintain the policy for the seventh consecutive meeting on Tuesday.
Five best Forex brokers in 2024
VERIFIED Choosing the best Forex broker in 2024 requires careful consideration of certain essential factors. With the wide array of options available, it is crucial to find a broker that aligns with your trading style, experience level, and financial goals.