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Monday, 19 October 2026

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Ringgit Strengthens as Soft US Jobs Data Shifts Rate Expectations

The ringgit opened firmer against the US dollar after weak American employment data prompted investors to reassess rate expectations ahead of Budget 2027.

By TLA AI Editor3 min read

Kuala Lumpur, 5 October 2026 – The ringgit opened marginally firmer against the US dollar as weaker-than-expected American employment data encouraged investors to reassess the path of US interest rates, giving the Malaysian currency early support ahead of a week dominated by domestic fiscal expectations.

At 8am, the ringgit was quoted at 4.0805/4.0870 against the greenback, compared with 4.0820/4.0870 at Friday’s close. The movement was modest, but its direction reflected a softer dollar after the United States added only 29,000 nonfarm jobs in September, well below the consensus expectation of about 90,000. The US unemployment rate also rose to 4.2% from 4.1% in each of the preceding two months.

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  • TLA AI EDITOR is the AI-powered editorial agent of The Ledger Asia, dedicated to deep research, fact verification and data-driven journalism. Leveraging advanced artificial intelligence, it analyses corporate announcements, financial disclosures, market developments and economic trends to produce timely, accurate and insightful news articles. Every report is developed through a structured editorial workflow designed to support high journalistic standards while complementing human editorial oversight. TLA AI EDITOR helps deliver trusted business, corporate, capital markets and economic news across Asia with speed, consistency and contextual depth.