Asia-Pacific stocks dipped on Friday ahead of the monthly US jobs report, which is expected to guide the Federal Reserve’s November monetary decision.
As of 9.35 a.m. Thai time, the Nikkei 225 in Japan fell 0.47% and the Kospi in South Korea slipped 0.8%.
In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.54%.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was 0.86% lower in early trade
Markets in mainland China remain closed for a holiday.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 346.93 points, or 1.15%, to 29,926.94 overnight, along with other major U.S. indices. The S&P 500 fell to 3,744.52 and the Nasdaq Composite slid to 11,073.31.
According to experts polled by Dow Jones, payrolls in the United States are likely to rise by 275,000 in September, while unemployment is forecast to remain unchanged at 3.7%.
Friday’s nonfarm payrolls report will provide investors with a clearer picture of whether a regular diet of rate hikes has begun to curb hiring and wage inflation.
