Dollar Rules as Investors Brace for Jobs Data Clues on Fed Rates

A gauge of the dollar was set for a weekly gain before a U.S. Labor Department report on Friday that may bolster speculation the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates as soon as next month.

The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index was about 0.4 percent from its highest level in more than four months touched Thursday when a report showed filings for U.S. unemployment benefits hovered near the lowest in four decades. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg forecast nonfarm payrolls increased by more than 200,000 for a third month in July. Australia’s dollar advanced after its central bank indicated unemployment had peaked.