Spot gold was up 0.5% at $3,996.67 per ounce, but set for a weekly loss of 0.2%

Gold rose on Friday as the dollar slipped after U.S. private-sector job reports indicated weakness in the country’s labour market and lifted expectations of another interest rate cut, while a prolonged government shutdown also boosted safe-haven demand.

Spot gold was up 0.5% at $3,996.67 per ounce, as of 0537 GMT, but set for a weekly loss of 0.2%. Bullion has dropped 9% since hitting a record high of $4,381.21 on October 20.

U.S. gold futures for December delivery were up 0.3% at $4,004.0 per ounce.

The U.S. economy shed jobs in October amid losses in the government and retail sectors, while cost-cutting measures and the adoption of artificial intelligence by businesses led to a surge in announced layoffs, data showed on Thursday.

The private jobs data is still indicating that a rate cut in December is likely and that’s why gold prices are getting some kind of support, said Soni Kumari, a commodity strategist with ANZ.

The dollar pulled back, leading declines among some of the major currencies as investors lacking official data on the U.S. labour market seized upon signs of weakness in private sector surveys.

A weak jobs market typically makes rate cuts more likely.

Market participants now see a 69% probability of a U.S. central bank rate cut in December, up from close to 60% in the previous session. The bank cut interest rates last week and Chair Jerome Powell suggested it might be the last cut in borrowing costs for the year.

The focus is now on macro numbers and when the U.S. shutdown is going to get over, which is also helping safe-haven demand for gold, Kumari added.