Silver prices rebounded above $82.50 per ounce on Friday after an unexpected drop in US non-farm payrolls sparked a flight to safe-haven assets. Despite this recovery, the metal remains on course for weekly losses, reflecting earlier dollar strength driven by geopolitical tensions.
For most of the week, silver traded lower as the US–Israeli confrontation with Iran pushed crude oil prices higher, stoking inflation concerns and prompting markets to push back expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts to late 2026. The latest labor market figures sharply shifted sentiment: a 92,000 decline in payrolls, alongside an increase in the unemployment rate to 4.4%, boosted the perceived likelihood of earlier monetary easing, thereby lowering the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets such as silver.
Although the US dollar index has pulled back from its weekly highs, silver continues to face headwinds from the broader risk-off mood and persistent inflation risks stemming from the intensifying conflict in the Middle East.
