Gold prices in the global market experienced a slight reversal as immediate delivery gold increased by $8.9 to reach $1,942.6 per ounce. December futures for gold, in their last trading session, rose by $7.3 to $1,976.1 per ounce compared to the previous morning.
The modest increase in gold can be attributed to the July US job report, which closely aligned with market expectations. Specifically, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, non-farm payrolls increased by 187,000 jobs in July, slightly below the expert forecast of 200,000 job additions.
The report highlighted that the country's unemployment rate showed improvement, dropping to 3.5% from 3.6% in June and surpassing the expert projection of 3.6%. This figure is notably close to the lowest level since 1969.
The report also noted downward revisions in May and June. May's unemployment data was adjusted down to 281,000 from the previous estimate of 306,000, while June's employment data was revised down to 185,000 from the initial forecast of 209,000.
According to some market analysts, the gold market might be facing challenges in finding upward momentum due to concerns about inflation. The report indicated that inflation remains a significant concern, potentially prompting the US Federal Reserve to continue raising interest rates after the summer.