Investors will be mulling over June’s employment data when equity markets open Friday.

Job growth went flat in June as Canada’s unemployment rate held steady at 6.1%, Statistics Canada said today.

Full-time employment dropped by roughly 67,100 positions in June, while the number of people working part-time increased by 62,500.

The Canadian dollar slipped to US89.77¢, off 0.15 cent from Thursday’s close.

South of the border, U.S. employers added 121,000 jobs to nonfarm payrolls in June, an improvement from the previous month but below expectations. Wages rose sharply. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.6%, the U.S. Labor Department said today.

Crude-oil prices advanced 49¢ to US$75.63 a barrel in early trading Friday, touching a new record high, as geopolitical tensions and rising gasoline demand in the U.S. continued to support prices.

In business news, Anglo-Swiss metals giant Xstrata has extended its takeover bid for Falconbridge Ltd. The offer of $52.50 per share in cash for the 80% of Falconbridge Xstrata does not already own now will expire July 21. There was no change in the terms of the bid, which was to have expired Friday.

Overseas, European stock markets were lower.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 index slipped 13.79 points to 15,307.61.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index rose 18.79 points to 16,459.78.

Toronto stocks finished lower Thursday, as strong showings in the materials and information technology sector couldn’t offset a drop in the energy index.

The S&P/TSX composite index fell 24.43 points, or 0.21%, to 11,602.01.


The S&P/TSX Venture composite index inched forward 4.53, or 0.17%, to 2,664.22.

In New York, markets were up as investors took in economic news that indicated inflation might be in check and the Federal Reserve may be nearing the end of its cycle of rate hikes.

The Dow Jones Industrials closed up 73.48 points at 11,225.30 while the S&P 500 gained 3.17 points to 1,274.08. The Nasdaq composite rose 1.75 points to 2,155.09.