USD/CAD has posted slight gains in the Friday session. Currently, the pair is trading at 1.3318, down 0.29% on the day. On the release front, there are no Canadian or U.S. events on the schedule.
Considering the weak performance of Canadian indicators this week, the Canadian dollar has done well, with only modest losses against the greenback. Manufacturing Sales declined by 1.4% in November, its sharpest decline in over a year. Consumer spending also sagged in November. Retail Sales and Core Retail Sales both recorded declines, with readings of -0.9% and -0.3%, respectively. The economy will receive a report card next week, with the release of the monthly GDP report. This key event should be treated as a market-mover.
There was good news from the U.S. labor market, as unemployment claims dropped sharply, from 213 thousand to 199 thousand. This was the first time that the indicator dropped below the 200-thousand level since 1969. The four-week average, which is less volatile, dropped by 5.5 thousand to 215,000. The strong figures indicate that the employment picture remains bright, despite the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, which has resulted in the layoff of some 800,000 government workers.
