The New Zealand dollar has strengthened against the Australian dollar after figures showed Australia's jobless rate had climbed to a 10-year high.
The kiwi jumped to 92.91 Australian cents from 92.03 Australian cents at the start of the day. It fell to 83.11 US cents from 83.15 US cents at 8am and from 83.46 cents on Wednesday.
Australian government figures showed the unemployment rate climbed to six per cent in January, from 5.8 per cent a month earlier.
"The employment data has certainly taken the gloss off the Australian dollar," said Stuart Ive, senior adviser at OM Financial.
While traders expect the Reserve Bank of New Zealand to starting hiking its 2.5 per cent official cash rate starting in March, they are divided on the timing of a move by the Reserve Bank of Australia and pared back bets on a rate hike for its 2.5 per cent cash rate after Thursday's figures.
That makes the outlook for New Zealand rates relatively more attractive than for Australia and polishes the appeal of the kiwi.
The slipped to 61.01 euro cents from 61.23 cents on Wednesday and to 84.89 yen from 85.56 yen.
The trade-weighted index was at 78.31 from 78.48 on Wednesday.
