Investing.com - The Aussie gained on Friday after the central bank said that Asian growth remained a key uncertainty on future policy.
AUD/USD traded at 0.7157, up 0.20%, while USD/JPY changed hands at 121.68, down 0.06%, ahead of central bank minutes and comments expected from Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda.
Earlier, in Australia, the AIG construction index reached 52.1 in October from 51.9 the previous month.
The Reserve Bank of Australia released a statement on monetary policy that highlighted risks as well as noting that the scope for easier policy remained in place.
The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, was down 0.01% to 98.08.
Overnight, the dollar remained near three-month highs against the other major currencies on Thursday, as hopes for a December rate hike in the U.S. continued to support the greenback and investors awaited the release of U.S. jobs data on Friday.
The U.S. Department of Labor reported on Thursday that the number of individuals filing for initial jobless benefits in the week ending October 31 increased by 16,000 to 276,000 from the previous week’s total of 260,000. Analysts had expected jobless claims to rise by 2,000 to 262,000.
But the greenback remained supported after Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said on Wednesday that a December rate hike is a "live possibility," depending on the data.
Investors were turning their attention to Friday's U.S. nonfarm payrolls report for further indications on the strength of the job market.