NEW YORK: The US dollar soared in late trading on Friday after data showed US job growth accelerated sharply in January, reported Xinhua.
The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major peers, increased 1.16 per cent to 102.9340.
In late New York trading, the euro was down to US$1.0803 from US$1.0908 in the previous session, and the British pound decreased to US$1.2054 from US$1.2231 in the previous session.
The US dollar bought 131.06 Japanese yen, higher than 128.65 Japanese yen of the previous session. The US dollar rose to 0.9258 Swiss francs from 0.9137 Swiss francs, and it increased to 1.3398 Canadian dollars from 1.3329 Canadian dollars. The US dollar climbed to 10.5476 Swedish Kronor from 10.3746 Swedish Kronor.
US employers added 517,000 jobs in January, crushing estimates, the Labor Department reported on Friday. The huge job growth was compounded by a new low in the unemployment rate, which fell from 3.5 per cent to 3.4 per cent, a new 54-year low.
The robust jobs report fueled expectations that the Federal Reserve will keep hiking rates, boosting the US dollar. - Bernama
