Ella 
In the Asian market on Friday, the AUD/USD opened slightly higher by 0.02% as the United States (US) economy remained resilient following the release of a strong employment report and mixed housing data. At press time, AUD/USD was trading at 0.6571.
AUD/USD balances strong US jobs report and mixed housing data
Wall Street closed higher, with U.S. Treasury yields rising. The U.S. dollar index (DXY) rose 0.14% to 103.47, marking its fifth consecutive session of gains.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that initial jobless claims rose to 187,000 in the week ended January 13, down from the previous and expected readings of 207,000. Meanwhile, housing data was mixed, with building permits rising 1.9% to 1.495 million in December, up from 1.467 million in November and 1.48 million expected.
Still, housing starts fell, falling 4.3% to 1.46 million units in December from 1.525 million units in November, according to the Commerce Department report.
In addition, Australia’s employment population change recorded -65,100 in December, erasing an unexpected increase in November and missing expectations of an increase of 17,600. The report may prevent the Reserve Bank of Australia from raising interest rates as it expresses concerns about wage growth.
No Australian economic data will be released on Friday, but traders will take cues from the University of Michigan’s consumer confidence index and a speech from a Federal Reserve spokesman.
