Gold settles lower as markets assess US jobs data

Gold futures for February 2026 delivery slipped 0.1%

Gold prices edged lower at settlement on Tuesday as investors assessed US labor market data, despite a bigger-than-expected rise in the unemployment rate that could bolster the case for future interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve.

Gold futures for February 2026 delivery slipped 0.1%, or $2.9, to settle at $4,332.3 an ounce.

The decline came even as the dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, eased 0.1% to 98.23 by 10:33 p.m. Mecca time.

According to the jobs report released earlier in the day, the US economy added 64,000 jobs in November, exceeding expectations for a gain of 51,000, and rebounding from a revised decline of 105,000 jobs in October.

However, the report also showed the unemployment rate rose to 4.6% in November, its highest level since 2021, raising concerns about the health of the labor market in the world’s largest economy.