The pound and yen rose against the dollar Oct. 20 alongside U.K. jobs data and a heavily subscribed Japanese bond sale, with the Bank of England’s next rate decision approaching.
In a report published at 2:47 p.m. EDT (18:47 UTC), Reuters put the pound 0.59% higher at $1.338 and the yen 0.21% higher at ¥158.14 per dollar. The euro was up 0.22% at $1.1235. Those were intraday quotes, not closing rates.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated U.K. unemployment at 4.7% and the employment rate at 75.3% for June through August 2026. Average weekly regular earnings, excluding bonuses, rose 3.7% from a year earlier in Great Britain over the same period.
An early ONS estimate put vacancies at 691,000 for July through September, down 21,000 from the previous quarter. The agency said vacancies were at their lowest level outside the pandemic since 2014. It also said higher labor costs might be discouraging smaller businesses from hiring.
Japan’s Ministry of Finance recorded 3,139.0 billion yen in competitive bids at its Oct. 20 auction of 20-year government bonds and accepted 537.1 billion yen. Bids were about 5.84 times the accepted amount, compared with 4.01 times at the Sept. 15 sale.
The European Central Bank (ECB) set its Oct. 20 reference rate at $1.1215 per euro.
The Associated Press reported a quieter night in Paris after curfews took effect in two zones, though groups called for further demonstrations Oct. 24. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced localized curfews Oct. 19, and Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said police and gendarmes would be reinforced over the coming weekend. The government said it would provide employment support and develop a dedicated fund for merchants affected by damage and looting.
The Bank of England held its policy rate at 3.75% in September. Its next policy summary is scheduled for Nov. 5 at 7 a.m. EST (12:00 UTC), followed by the next ONS labor release Nov. 17.
