Australian Dollar Loses Some Steam Ahead of Employment Report

The Australian dollar suffered at the hand of risk aversion, though the currency’s declines were very mild. In light of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s unexpected rate hike earlier this week, there’s significant optimism building on the health of the Australian economy. However, upcoming employment data may either confirm or negate that sentiment, as this is one of the timeliest reports for the nation. The Australian employment change, which is scheduled to be released at 20:30 ET tonight, is projected to have fallen by 10,000 in September, which would mark the second straight contraction. Likewise, the unemployment rate is anticipated to hit a 6.0 percent, the highest since July 2003, from 5.8 percent. This particular release is similar to that of the US non-farm payrolls results, as the numbers are notoriously difficult to predict and thus, tend to spark a lot of volatility in the markets. Thus, traders should look out for a surprising positive result to offer a solid boost to the Australian dollar, while a disappointingly steep decline should weigh on the currency.