Dollar turns positive vs yen after US jobless claims data

NEW YORK: The dollar turned positive against the Japanese yen and briefly extended gains versus the euro on Thursday after US data showed the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week.

The data pointed to a continued steady improvement in labor market conditions.

The dollar last traded at 93.42 yen, up 0.1 percent on the day. It had been trading at about 93.28 before the release of the data, according to Reuters data.

The euro last traded at $1.3338, down 0.9 percent on the day. The euro traded at about $1.3334 before the release of the data and briefly fell after the data before recovering.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 27,000 to a seasonally adjusted 341,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Economists in a Reuters poll had expected claims to drop to 360,000.