TOKYO, Jan 6 ― Asian equities gained today while the dollar hovered near a one-month high as investors braced for crucial US jobs data later in the day that should provide clues on how aggressive the Federal Reserve will be in tightening policy.
Wall Street sold off amid worries that a robustness in the jobs market would keep the Fed raising rates for longer, after data released on Thursday showed a bigger than expected rise in private payrolls and a drop in jobless claims. According to a Reuters survey of economists, non-farm payrolls are forecast to show today that 200,000 jobs were created in December, easing from November's 263,000 pace.