USD/CAD drops to near 1.4300 after US-Canada employment data

USD/CAD falls to near 1.4300 after the release of the employment data for both the US and Canada.
Surprisingly upbeat Canadian employment data has provided some support to the Canadian Dollar.
The US NFP data misses estimates and came in lower at 143K.

Sagar Dua FXStreet

The USD/CAD pair falls to near 1.4300 in North American trading hours on Friday. The Loonie pair drops after the release of the employment data for January in both the United States (US) and Canada.

The Canadian labor market report came in surprisingly stronger than expected. The report showed that the economy added 76K workers in January, beating the estimate of 25K but remaining lower than the December reading of 91K. The Unemployment Rate decelerated to 6.6% from expectations of 6.8% and the previous release of 6.7%.

Signs of strong labor market data are expected to provide a big relief for the Canadian economy, which is facing the risk of economic slowdown. It appears that the impact of interest rate cuts yet taken by the Bank of Canada (BoC) is coming into effect. However, upbeat labor market data is unlikely to force traders to pare BoC dovish bets as risks of inflation undershooting the central bank’s target of 2%

Meanwhile, the US employment data showed that the labor demand remains weak. The Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report showed that employers hired added 143K job-seekers in January, significantly lower than estimates of 170K and the former release of 307K, upwardly revised from 256K. The Unemployment Rate decelerates to 4% from the estimates and the prior reading of 4.1%.

However, the Average Hourly Earnings data, a key measure of wage growth, surprisingly came in higher than projected. On year, the wage growth measure rose at a faster pace of 4.1%, compared to 3.9% in December. Month-on-month Average Hourly Earnings data rose at a faster pace of 0.5% against estimates and the former release of 0.3%.

Hot wage growth data is likely to boost market speculation that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will keep interest rates at their current levels for longer.

Author

Sagar Dua

FXStreet

Sagar Dua is associated with the financial markets from his college days. Along with pursuing post-graduation in Commerce in 2014, he started his markets training with chart analysis.

GBP/USD clings to small gains near 1.3450 after UK jobs data

GBP/USD trades in positive territory at around 1.3450 in the European session on Tuesday. The UK ILO Unemployment Rate remained at 4.9% in the three months to May, compared with expectations of 5%, but failed to provide any impetus to the British Pound's renewed uptick. Traders stay cautious amid US-Iran uncertainty and the UK political transition.

EUR/USD keeps range above 1.1400 after German ZEW

EUR/USD is keeping its range above 1.1400 in Tuesday's European session, as the US Dollar (USD) retreats following Monday's rebound. Nevertheless, the uncertainty around the US-Iran conflict limits the pair's upside. Meanwhile, the Euro (EUR) pays little heed to the strong German sentiment data, as traders await Thursday's European Central Bank policy announcements, which could drive the Euro's near-term valuation.

Gold extends recovery toward $4,100

Gold gains traction following Monday's choppy action and advances toward $4,100 on Tuesday. However, the uncertainty surrounding the conflict in the Middle East and growing expectations for a hawkish Federal Reserve policy outlook could make it difficult for the precious metal to gather bullish momentum in the near term.

Bitcoin extends advance as ETF inflows, Iran war mediators' proposal lift risk mood

Bitcoin extends its gains, trading above $65,800 after closing above the key technical hurdle the previous day. The bullish price action is further supported by the return of institutional demand, with spot Exchange Traded Funds continuing their inflows on Monday. In addition, the renewed hopes for peace between the US and Iran have lifted risk sentiment, providing an additional tailwind for the Crypto King.

Buy the dip on the Dow Jones and S&P? Forex Trading Gold descending triangle

Trading during a war, a pandemic, during trade disputes, and other geopolitical events, especially when some major players are sociopathic, can be quite challenging. The Iran war is no exception. The Iran war is no exception.

US Dollar mid-year outlook: Exceptional currency, exceptional risks?

The US Dollar enters the second half of 2026 in a markedly different position from a year ago. The King currency has recovered, reflecting persistent US inflation, changing expectations for Fed policy, geopolitical tensions and renewed demand for defensive assets.