09:16 AM EST, 01/09/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Gold prices rose early on Friday as the dollar weakened after the United States reported employment rose less than expected in December.

Gold for February delivery was last seen up US$34.80 to US$4.495.50 per ounce.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the country added 50,000 new jobs in December, down from 64.000 new positions in November and well below the consensus estimate for a rise of 73,000 jobs, according to Marketwatch.

With the December data in, the United States added 584,000 new jobs in 2025, the least since 2003, according to CNN, as the economy slows amid President Donald Trump's tariff policies.

Geopolitical concerns are also supporting gold prices, amid U.S. adventurism in Venezuela and rising protests against Iran's government as the country's economy weakens. "Gold steadied on the back of heightened geopolitical risk....Beyond Iran developments and fresh Trump commentary, traders will also focus on today's US jobs and sentiment reports," Saxo Bank noted.

The dollar gave up early gains following the data. with the ICE dollar index last seen down 0.04 points to 99.0. Treasury yields rose, with the yield on the two-year note last seen up 2.1 basis points to 3.515%, while the 10-year note was paying 4.181%, up 0.5 points.