Investing.com - The dollar firmed against most major currencies on Monday after investors shrugged off Friday data revealing that the U.S. economy picked up far fewer payrolls in August than markets were expecting.
In U.S. trading on Monday, EUR/USD was down 0.36% at 1.2905.
The dollar softened on Friday after data revealed the U.S. economy added 142,000 jobs in August, far less than the expected increase of 225,000.
The dollar, however, recovered by Monday trading, as the August jobs report tends to be subject to hefty revisions.
The euro gave back Friday's gains and softened in wake of a recent European Central Bank decision to trim its benchmark interest rate to a record-low 0.05% from 0.15%.
The central bank also lowered its deposit facility rate to -0.20% from -0.10% previously and its marginal lending rate to 0.30% from 0.40%.
The European monetary authority will also begin an asset-backed securities purchasing program to shore up the recovery.
Sentiments that European monetary policy will loosen while the U.S. and the U.K. move in different directions softened demand for the single currency, which gave the greenback added support.
The dollar was up against the yen, with USD/JPY up 0.86% at 105.99, and up against the Swiss franc, with USD/CHF up 0.42% at 0.9349.
The greenback was surged against the pound, with GBP/USD down 1.29% at 1.6114.
The pound came under heavy selling pressure after a YouGov/Sunday Times poll found over the weekend that 51% in Scotland favored voting for independence from the U.K. in a referendum set to take place on Sept. 18.
Uncertainty as to what currency a newly independent Scotland would adopt, how much U.K. debt it would assume and what steps London would take to keep its northern neighbor in the fold sent investors avoiding sterling on Monday.
The dollar was up against its cousins in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with USD/CAD up 0.82% at 1.0971, AUD/USD down 0.96% at 0.9287 and NZD/USD down 0.57% at 0.8280.
The US Dollar Index, which tracks the performance of the greenback versus a basket of six other major currencies, was up 0.64% at 84.41.