Investing.com - The dollar edged higher against the yen on Thursday after data revealed fewer sought first-time joblessness assistance in the U.S. last week than markets were expecting.
In U.S. trading, USD/JPY was up 0.17% at 106.10, up from a session low of 105.51 and off a high of 106.33.
The pair was expected to test support at 105.18, Wednesday's low, and resistance at 107.52, Wednesday's high.
The U.S. Department of Labor reported earlier that the number of individuals filing for initial jobless benefits in the week ending Oct. 11 fell by 23,000 to 264,000 from the previous week’s total of 287,000.
Analysts had expected jobless claims to rise by 3,000 to 290,000 last week, and the upbeat report bolstered the dollar by fueling hopes that the U.S. economy continues to recover despite potholes here and there.
On Wednesday, the dollar took a beating on soft U.S. retail sales and wholesale pricing reports, though Thursday's jobless claims data and other reports brought the greenback back up.
Elsewhere, data revealed that U.S. industrial production climbed 1.0% last month, beating expectations for a 0.4% rise. The August figure was revised to a 0.2% slip from a previously estimated 0.1% downtick.
In addition, the Federal Reserve of Philadelphia said its manufacturing index fell to 20.7 this month from 22.5 in September, less than market expectations for a decline to 20.0.
The greenback also saw support after U.S. President Barack Obama said on Wednesday that the country's Center for Disease Control and Prevention would send rapid response teams to any new suspected Ebola cases in the U.S.
Mr. Obama's comments came after the infection of a second Texas healthcare worker.
The yen, meanwhile, was up against the euro and down against the pound, with EUR/JPY down 0.12% at 135.79, and GBP/JPY trading up 0.32% at 170.22.
On Friday, the U.S. is to round up the week with reports on building permits and housing starts, as well as a preliminary report on consumer sentiment.