Swiss Franc, Yen Gain as Slowdown Concerns Maintain Safety Bid

The Swiss franc and the yen strengthened against the euro and the dollar as concern the global economic recovery is faltering maintained demand for assets perceived as the safest.

The euro weakened versus most of its 16 major peers as economists forecast unemployment in the 17-nation euro-region remained unchanged at 9.9 percent last month, a level it hasn’t fallen below since 2009. The yen headed for a third monthly gain versus the dollar before a report forecast to show the U.S. employers added fewer jobs this month. New Zealand’s dollar headed for its biggest monthly decline in a year versus the yen as the country’s business confidence worsened.