WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Gold was basically flat Thursday morning, unable to take back much its recent losses amid another round of upbeat U.S. jobs data.
Jobless claims dropped 36,000 to 289,000 last week, the Labor Department reported in the latest sign the jobs market is heating up.
On the other hand, U.S. retail sales dropped for a third month. Retail sales fell by a seasonally adjusted 0.6% last month after a 0.8% drop in January.
Gold was up $4 at $1155 an ounce, holding near this week's 4-month low below $1150.
Gains were more pronounced for silver, which added 18 cents, or 1.2 percent, to $15.54 an ounce.
A stronger dollar has weighed on commodities of late. The buck jumped to a 12-year high of $1.065 versus the euro, but has taken a breather this morning.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX