Forex Today: US Dollar stays resilient ahead of key US data
Here is what you need to know on Wednesday, June 3:
The US Dollar (USD) holds its ground midweek as markets react to a new escalation of tensions in the Middle East. In the second half of the day, the US economic calendar will feature ADP Employment Change, ISM Services PMI report for May and April Factory Orders data. Additionally, the Federal Reserve (Fed) will publish its Beige Book.
US Dollar Price This week
The table below shows the percentage change of US Dollar (USD) against listed major currencies this week. US Dollar was the strongest against the New Zealand Dollar.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | 0.36% | 0.10% | 0.37% | 0.38% | 0.23% | 1.23% | 1.05% | |
| EUR | -0.36% | -0.26% | -0.02% | 0.02% | -0.13% | 0.89% | 0.69% | |
| GBP | -0.10% | 0.26% | 0.28% | 0.28% | 0.13% | 1.16% | 0.94% | |
| JPY | -0.37% | 0.02% | -0.28% | 0.05% | -0.09% | 0.88% | 0.68% | |
| CAD | -0.38% | -0.02% | -0.28% | -0.05% | -0.17% | 0.83% | 0.65% | |
| AUD | -0.23% | 0.13% | -0.13% | 0.09% | 0.17% | 1.02% | 0.82% | |
| NZD | -1.23% | -0.89% | -1.16% | -0.88% | -0.83% | -1.02% | -0.22% | |
| CHF | -1.05% | -0.69% | -0.94% | -0.68% | -0.65% | -0.82% | 0.22% |
The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the US Dollar from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the Japanese Yen, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent USD (base)/JPY (quote).
The United States (US) military's Central Command said that it launched "self-defence" strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island and "defeated multiple" Iranian missiles and drones in response to Iran's drone attacks on US forces in Kuwait. Additionally, Iran reportedly launched three missiles at Bahrain, which were intercepted by US and Bahrain air defence forces.
On Tuesday, the data from the US showed that JOLTS Job Openings rose sharply to 7.6 million in April from 6.88 million in March. This print surpassed the market expectation of 6.88 million by a wide margin. The USD Index continues to edge higher after posting small gains on Tuesday and was last seen rising 0.15% on the day at 99.35. In the meantime, US stock index futures lose between 0.1% and 0.2% on the day, while the barrel of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) gains about 2% on the day above $93.50.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reported early Wednesday that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) expanded 0.3% on a quarterly basis in the first quarter. This print followed the 0.9% growth recorded in the last quarter of 2025 and came in below analysts' estimate of 0.5%. AUD/USD remains under bearish pressure early Wednesday and trades near 0.7150, losing about 0.4% on the day.
EUR/USD stays on the back foot and declines toward 1.1600 in the European morning on Wednesday after closing virtually unchanged on Tuesday.
GBP/USD ignored the broad-based USD resilience and registered marginal gains on Tuesday. The pair edges lower in the early European session and trades below 1.3450.
Japan’s Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said on Wednesday that the authorities are ready to act on the foreign exchange if required. USD/JPY trades at its highest level since April 30, when the Japanese government intervened, near 160.00.
Gold (XAU/USD) failed to stage a rebound on Tuesday and ended the day almost flat. XAU/USD turns south on Wednesday and declines toward $4,450.
Employment FAQs
Labor market conditions are a key element to assess the health of an economy and thus a key driver for currency valuation. High employment, or low unemployment, has positive implications for consumer spending and thus economic growth, boosting the value of the local currency. Moreover, a very tight labor market – a situation in which there is a shortage of workers to fill open positions – can also have implications on inflation levels and thus monetary policy as low labor supply and high demand leads to higher wages.
The pace at which salaries are growing in an economy is key for policymakers. High wage growth means that households have more money to spend, usually leading to price increases in consumer goods. In contrast to more volatile sources of inflation such as energy prices, wage growth is seen as a key component of underlying and persisting inflation as salary increases are unlikely to be undone. Central banks around the world pay close attention to wage growth data when deciding on monetary policy.
The weight that each central bank assigns to labor market conditions depends on its objectives. Some central banks explicitly have mandates related to the labor market beyond controlling inflation levels. The US Federal Reserve (Fed), for example, has the dual mandate of promoting maximum employment and stable prices. Meanwhile, the European Central Bank’s (ECB) sole mandate is to keep inflation under control. Still, and despite whatever mandates they have, labor market conditions are an important factor for policymakers given its significance as a gauge of the health of the economy and their direct relationship to inflation.
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