- Martin van Vliet, an economist at ING Bank NV
The Euro fell to the lowest level in nine days against the greenback on Thursday, hitting 1.361, after disappointing data from Europe, bolstering the case the recovery is still fragile and may easily be derailed by any internal or external factor. While analysts expected the labour market to show some signs of improvement, with jobless rate falling to 12.0%, a report from the Eurostat, showed the key jobless rate in the 17-nation bloc stood at 12.2% in September, remaining at the all-time high. In broader European Union, youth unemployment reached 23.5%, while for the Eurozone the corresponding indicators stands at 24.1%.
Another worrying sign is a sharp drop in inflation, which moved further away from the ECB's 2% target level. The annual inflation rate retreated to 0.7% in October, the lowest since November 2009, down from 1.1% a month earlier. Analysts, however, expected the same reading. The main downside pressure came from energy prices, which fell 1.7% in October, much deeper than the 0.9% drop posted in September. In addition to that, the core measure of inflation fell by 0.8%, touching a record low. Thursday's data are strengthening the case for more policy easing from the ECB during the next policy meeting. The central bank pledged to keep borrowing costs at the current level or lower for an extended period of time.
© Dukascopy Bank SA