Australia: The Australian dollar has opened below parity for the second time this week as concerns out of Europe hit risk sensitive investors.

The AUD had traded just above the parity mark for most of yesterday, weighed down by some surprisingly weak employment figures.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) said the unemployment rate for October was 5.4%, much higher than the market expectations of 5.1%.

During the same period the participation rate rose to an all-time record 65.9%, from 65.6% the previous month.

The AUD was sold off from USD1.00043 to just under parity following the data but did recover slightly by lunchtime.

Offshore concerns about Eurozone sovereign risk and the possibility of a default in Ireland saw the EUR sharply lower which also dragged the AUD along with it.

Unexpectedly high inflation figures out of China last yesterday also weighed on the AUD, NZD and CAD as speculation grew that they may tighten policy to put a brake on its growth.

With no key data being released in Australia today, the market will look be watching for further reassurance from the Eurozone as Ireland sits on the edge of default.

Majors: The EUR dropped to its lowest levels in more than a month against the dollar Thursday as concerns once again heated over the region's issues of sovereign debt.

Ireland's cost of borrowing hit record high's Thursday with its 10-year government bond yield's jumping to 8.929%, its highest level since the euro was created in 1999, placing Europe's bond markets under serious strain.

Euro-zone officials were out in force however to calm markets, with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso telling reporters in South Korea, where he was attending the summit of the Group of 20 industrialized and emerging nations; "What is important to know is that we have all the necessary instruments in place now to
support Ireland if necessary".

The markets will remained focused on Europe as we head into the weekend, Q3 GDP for the region is scheduled for release.

Newsletter: Subscribe to receive this report daily