Dollar dips after US jobs report, wage growth below expectations

By Karen Brettell

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar pared earlier gains after U.S. jobs data for December showed employers added 223,000 jobs in the month, more than economists' forecasts, while wage growth was slightly less than expected.

Economists had expected 200,000 jobs would be added. Wages grew by 0.3% last month, below forecasts of 0.4%.

The data may reduce the odds that the Federal Reserve will hike interest rates by another 50 basis points next month.

The dollar was last up 0.09% on the day against a basket of currencies at 105.19, after earlier reaching 105.63, the highest since Dec. 7.

The euro was little changed on the day at $1.0521, and the dollar was up 0.25% against the Japanese yen at 133.70.

Fed funds futures traders increased bets the Fed will hike rates by 25 basis points at the conclusion of its two-day meeting on Feb. 1 to 67% from 54% before the data, with a 50 basis point hike now only seen as a 33% probability.

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Currency bid prices at 8:43AM (1343 GMT)

Description RIC Last U.S. Close Pct Change YTD Pct High Bid Low Bid

Previous Change

Session

Dollar index 105.1900 105.1200 +0.09% 1.643% +105.6300 +105.0100

Euro/Dollar $1.0521 $1.0521 +0.00% -1.82% +$1.0537 +$1.0482

Dollar/Yen 133.6950 133.4100 +0.25% +2.01% +134.7650 +133.2800

Euro/Yen 140.71 140.36 +0.25% +0.29% +141.4400 +140.2400

Dollar/Swiss 0.9370 0.9363 +0.17% +1.42% +0.9407 +0.9354

Sterling/Dollar $1.1897 $1.1908 -0.11% -1.64% +$1.1935 +$1.1842

Dollar/Canadian 1.3575 1.3568 +0.06% +0.20% +1.3664 +1.3539

Aussie/Dollar $0.6765 $0.6752 +0.17% -0.78% +$0.6788 +$0.6722

Euro/Swiss 0.9859 0.9851 +0.08% -0.36% +0.9883 +0.9849

Euro/Sterling 0.8842 0.8835 +0.08% -0.02% +0.8870 +0.8823

NZ $0.6240 $0.6223 +0.23% -1.76% +$0.6254 +$0.6193

Dollar/Dollar

Dollar/Norway 10.2440 10.2595 +0.00% +4.53% +10.3005 +10.2300

Euro/Norway 10.7800 10.7654 +0.14% +2.73% +10.8140 +10.7540

Dollar/Sweden 10.6919 10.6804 +0.18% +2.73% +10.7479 +10.6565

Euro/Sweden 11.2492 11.2290 +0.18% +0.89% +11.2924 +11.2268

 

(Editing by Jan Harvey)