FX.co ★ AUS 10Y Yield Eases After Mixed Jobs Report

Australia's government bond yield has decreased to 4.71%, pulling back from a peak not seen in over two years. This shift comes as investors reevaluate the trajectory of monetary policy in light of a mixed employment report. In November, employment numbers fell by 23,100, contrasting with October's rise of 41,000, and falling short of the anticipated 20,000 increase. This suggests a slowdown in the labor market, which may alleviate the need for the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to implement policy tightening measures. Despite this, the unemployment rate remained steady at 4.3%, slightly better than the predicted 4.4%. Currently, markets estimate only a 23% chance of a rate increase in February, with the likelihood of a hike in May having decreased from nearly 100% to approximately 70%. These labor market statistics were released after the RBA maintained its cash rate at 3.6% on Tuesday, signaling no immediate rate cuts, yet leaving open the possibility for future increases as inflationary pressures begin to resurface.