C$ firms as oil prices climb, US wages disappoint

TORONTO: The Canadian dollar edged higher against its US counterpart on Friday, supported by higher oil prices and firm domestic data, while investors weighed a US employment report that was tainted by a disappointing rise in wages.

The US dollar pared some of its advance against a basket of major currencies after the November jobs data, which showed a healthy 228,000 increase in non-farm payrolls but a weaker-than-expected annual wage gain of 2.5 percent.

Prices of oil, one of Canada's major exports, got a boost from rising Chinese crude demand and threats of a strike in Africa's largest oil exporter.

US crude prices were up 1.7 percent at $57.64 a barrel.