Japanese yen banknotes of various denominations are arranged in Kawasaki, Japan, on Friday, June 23, 2023.
The dollar rose on Thursday after new U.S. labor market data showed that unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, easing fears of an imminent recession.
Initial jobless claims fell to a seasonally adjusted 233,000 for the week ended Aug. 3, the Labor Department said on Thursday, suggesting fears that the labor market is unraveling were overblown.
The sharp moves in the yen pushed the dollar index, which measures the U.S. currency against six others, including the yen, to a weekly high, before backing off.
The Australian dollar rose 1.12% to $0.659, while the New Zealand dollar was up 0.25% at $0.601.
Persons:
Shinichi Uchida, Eugene Epstein, Uchida, Marc Chandler, Jerome Powell, Vasu Menon, bitcoin, Ether
Organizations:
Labor Department, Bank of Japan's, Bannockburn Global Forex, U.S . Federal, Swiss, New Zealand
Locations:
Kawasaki, Japan, North America, Moneycorp, ., Bannockburn