Friday, Asia — The US dollar slipped in early Asian trading as investors turned their attention to private sector job indicators, with official labor market data delayed due to the ongoing US government shutdown.
The dollar index (DXY), which tracks the greenback against six major currencies, fell 0.5% to 99.674, erasing its monthly gains amid rising expectations that the Federal Reserve could cut interest rates at its upcoming December 10 meeting.
Private employment data showed job losses in government and retail sectors during October, while AI-driven automation and cost-cutting continued to contribute to higher layoff announcements.
📊 Currency Snapshot
- USD/JPY: 153.17 (+0.1%)
- AUD/USD: 0.6479
- NZD/USD: 0.5635 (+0.1%)
- EUR/USD: 1.1550 (near one-week high)
- GBP/USD: 1.3135 (steady)
- Offshore CNY/USD: 7.1233 (unchanged)
Investors remain cautious as the shutdown prolongs uncertainty, delaying key data such as the non-farm payrolls report, which traditionally provides insight into the health of the US labor market.
