AUS 10-Year Yield Steady as Traders Assess Jobs Data

Australia’s 10-year government bond yield steadied at 4.21% as traders assessed the labour market report. Employment fell by 5,400 in August, following a revised 26,500 rise in July and defying forecasts of a 22,000 gain. The jobless rate, however, stayed at 4.1%, matching expectations and still low by historical standards. The mixed data did little to alter expectations for monetary policy as markets upheld bets the Reserve Bank of Australia will leave rates unchanged this month, while pricing a 70% chance of a November cut. The RBA has so far adopted a cautious approach to policy easing, delivering only three cuts this year—guided mainly by quarterly inflation data. On Tuesday, Assistant Governor Sarah Hunter said the bank was close to achieving both of its inflation and employment goals, though risks remain on both sides of the outlook. In contrast, the US Federal Reserve lowered rates as expected on Wednesday and indicated a steady pace of further cuts for the rest of this year.