By Commodity News Service Canada
WINNIPEG, Jan. 4 (CNS Canada) – The Canadian dollar is up Friday morning on the heels of Thursday’s gains against the United States dollar and an increase in oil prices.
At 8:52 CST Friday morning the Canadian dollar was at US$0.7437 or C$1.3442, which compares with Thursday’s North American close of US$0.7407 or C$1.3501.
In Statistics Canada’s employment report released on Friday, 163,300 jobs were added to the country’s economy in 2018. That’s far lower than the 427,300 jobs added in 2017 and well below the average of 225,000 jobs added since 2010. The report said an aging workforce and a slower rate of economic growth were responsible for the decline in job growth.
The TSX/S&P Composite Index was up 125.45 points Friday morning at 14,338.20.
Oil prices are up Friday morning. West Texas Intermediate crude is at US$48.28 per barrel after closing Thursday at US$47.09.
Gold is down Friday morning by US$12.50 to US$1,282.30 per ounce.
